Karakura Exorcists
by Sora Ryuuzaki
Summary: About one hundred and fifty years after the death of the Earl and scarcely a month after the execution of the traitor Aizen, Karakura Town finds a strange set of visitors. D. Gray-man/Bleach xover; IchixRuki and eventual Yullen. Crappy title is a warning
1. Chapter 1

Karakura Exorcists (Crappy title, I know; but what else am I supposed to call it?!)

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Summary: About one hundred and fifty years after the death of the Earl, Karakura Town finds a strange set of visitors. D. Gray-man/Bleach xover; IchixRuki and eventual Yullen.

Well. I don't own D. Gray-man, or Bleach. Don't rub it in. But I DO own…

... This piece of LAND! -pulls out mound of dirt- Someday, I hope to build on it! xD Jaykay. (I forgot what that was from… o_O Someone help me, please?)

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Excerpt from a religious text; The History of the Dark Religious Organization, written by Komui Lee, age 54, in the mid-1900's:

_After the Earl of Millenium was defeated by the Exorcists in the turn of the 19__th__ century, Akuma remained. They continued to kill mindlessly; however, the level two and above Akuma became tougher to exorcise. They began to change somewhat; the Akuma began to become more perceptive to the despair of the dead and where the dead were. And so, the Akuma fed on the souls of the deceased…_

… _It is through the very despair of the deceased that Akuma began to reappear—only in a different form. They are still born from despair; however they do not require the mechanical skeleton made by the Earl. Instead, they cultivate despair in the souls of the dead and, after feasting on them, use the despair to make them Akuma…_

…_The new, modified Akuma, present even at the time this book is published, do not evolve, but instead conglomerate with hundreds of more Akuma to turn into a stronger version of themselves._

_Today, these developed Akuma are called Hollows._

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Chapter One

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The class chattered about noisily, excited about their second-to-last year in high school. Everyone was on some sort of a high; it was an exhilarating thought to entertain, to say the least.

Just one more year, and they'd be out. What joy.

Oblivious to it all, Ichigo stared out the window. It had been a few months since the Arrancar incident. Aizen was killed; Tousen arrested. The Espada had been dealt with accordingly, of course. But somehow… it was odd. Something was off. Excuse the cliché, but he thought that something important was missing.

Maybe it was too peaceful, Ichigo concluded. Summer had been hectic and somewhat exhilarating; what with Rukia being kidnapped and all. Winter had just been horrifying and exhausting, with his Hollowfication and the Arrancars and Vaizards; the war with the Espada and the traitorous Aizen.

He sighed as Rukia slid in next to him. She had been dispatched to Karakura Town in case something along the lines of the Arrancar or Vaizards came back again. "What's wrong, Ichigo? Too boring?" she teased, jabbing him in the stomach with an unnaturally powerful elbow.

Doubled over and groaning slightly with the sudden pain, he glared at his girlfriend. "Yeah, I guess," he said, finally straightening in his seat after the pain had cleared. "I'm not used to it anymore."

"Wimp," Rukia said jokingly. She closed her eyes and laid her head on his shoulder. Suddenly, her violet eyes snapped open, her head flicking back and forth urgently. "Ichigo… Ichigo, do you… do you feel that?"

"Feel what?" he asked rather stupidly. Truth be told, Ichigo didn't really feel anything besides… boredom. Well, of course, there was the occasional splash of agonizing idleness, but aside from that…

Chad, Ishida, and Orihime crowded around his desk. Ichigo didn't really know why, but he could often see the shorter two hanging out together after he had rejected Inoue. Pushing up his glasses to hide his expression, Ishida remarked, "So you feel it too, Kuchiki?"

Rukia nodded in affirmation. "It's… four. Four reiatsu."

"Four? I only feel three," Ishida frowned.

"Four reiatsu," Orihime confirmed. "Three of them are clumsily hidden—I can trace them myself—and the fourth is barely traceable. It's only because Tsubaki is agitated that I know there are four."

During the Arrancar/Soul Society war, Orihime's powers had developed. Her sixth lone, offensive flower—Tsubaki—had increased in strength and became a sort of reiatsu radar. She could pick up reiatsu alone; however, Tsubaki's increased strength picked up on reiatsu better than she could. That strength came up with a price: Tsubaki always seemed to be irritated whenever there were foreign reiatsu hovering somewhere.

Rukia nodded. "One of them is extremely close; two of them—including the barely traceable reiatsu—are approaching the school, and the last one…" She cocked her head innocently, her face wrinkled with the effort.

"… is rushing towards here," Orihime finished, her right hand absently tracing her hairpin—the medium of her power.

Ichigo felt out of the loop. Try as he might, he couldn't find any traces of reiatsu. Exhausted, he stared out the window, ignoring the other three as they talked about what the four reiatsu could mean.

"They're coming," Ishida said tersely.

Ichigo was alert. Foreign reiatsu meant someone new. Someone new could be good or bad. And if they were bad… Well, he just wanted to be prepared. His hand hovered warily over his Seal of Acceptance (or whatever it's called). Ishida, Orihime, and Chad fled back to their seats.

Suddenly, the door snapped open to reveal a dark-haired man wearing an awkward, clergy-like white suit with a blue-crossed beret on his head. He strode in, shortly followed by a cute, short-haired girl who looked somewhat like him.

Rukia's forehead creased slightly. "Ichigo. Do you… do you feel anything from that girl? She seems… odd."

"No," he replied cluelessly.

"I'm Lee Komui," the dark-haired man began, drawing attention to himself, "and I'll be your new teacher this year." Komui introduced himself rather professionally, pushing up his glasses in a way similar to Ishida. "Ochi Misato-san, who was supposed to be your teacher again this year, was transferred to another 'school'—" he emphasized the word with a pair of air quotes— "by the government. It sucks, I know, but what are we to do about it?"

The class was filled with an awkward silence. The main thought running through everyone's minds was probably something along the lines of "I bet that teacher got arrested for murder or something".

Komui glanced around anxiously before nudging the girl. "Go on, Lenalee; introduce yourself to your new class," he chirped.

"Brother!" she hissed, her face slightly red from embarrassment. "I'm not a little kid anymore!" The girl, returning her gaze to the class full of teenagers before her, smiled gently. "I am Lee Lenalee, Komui-sensei's younger sister. We're from America. Pleased to meet you all."

Lenalee Lee had a powerful charm. Her smile was calm and her disposition was harmless. Immediately, the room was full of thudding hearts. Keigo leaned over to Ichigo, a sly grin on his face. "She's cute," he remarked.

Glancing around at all the guys in the classroom, Komui snapped, "If any of you perverted octopi touch my Lenalee, you'll face a wrath even worse than detention!"

Lenalee's face wrinkled slightly as she turned toward her brother and opened her mouth to protest. "Komui-nii—!"

The sentence remained unfinished due to the door snapping open again. In its entry stood a redhead with an eyepatch over his right eye. The students who first laid eyes on him paid no mind to the eyepatch; there were plenty of other strange people in the very same class. The other eye sparkled a cheery emerald green. Standing loathingly in front of him was another teen with long, raven-colored hair in a ponytail. Deep, sapphire eyes pierced everyone in the room.

"Sorry we're late, Komui," the redhead said as the other strode into the room. To the rest of the class, he greeted, "I'm from America. The name's Lavi. Just Lavi," he added, trying to pull of a James Bond cliché.

"'Baka usagi' is just fine, too," the other snarled. He lifted his gaze to the students. "Kanda Yuu. I'm Japanese-American." Without another word, despite the beginnings of Komui's protests, he took one of the four—now three, due to Lenalee sitting in the upper right corner—seats; the one in the lower left corner. Lavi followed, brightening the dismal atmosphere that tailed Kanda and occupied the seat next to the stoic Japanese-American.

"At any rate," Komui continued dismissively, "if any of you boys in my class touch my Lenalee… you will face a much worse fate than a failing grade," he said, a slightly disturbing grin spreading across his face.

Suddenly, all the guys who showed interest in Lenalee averted their eyes.

Komui's attitude flipped again. With the carefree grin of the idiotic, he pranced around the room. "Well, in case you didn't catch it earlier, your other teacher had some issues with the police, so she won't be here for the year. Which means you're all mine!" A maniacal glint was rooted in the teacher's eyes.

Lenalee buried her face in her arms.

"Sorry!" the door snapped open one more time. This time, a short, white-haired kid with a scar running down the left side of his face and gloves came in, panting heavily. "I'm sorry, Komui-san; I got lost on the way here."

"Che," a voice snorted in the back. Heads turned to see Kanda scowling at the new student. "Trust a bean sprout to get lost on the way to school."

The boy pouted. "The name is Allen!" he protested. Suddenly remembering where he was, he added, "Sorry. My name is Allen Walker; I'm from America."

He took the seat in front of Kanda, behind Ichigo. Rukia, who sat next to the orange-headed teen, glanced back at Allen, eyes slightly wide. She smiled and held out a hand to the British transfer student.

"Nice to meet you, Allen. My name is Kuchiki Rukia, but you can just call me Rukia." Ichigo knew that tone—it was the one she always used when with humans like his family. Saccharinely sweet, yet it was deceiving. She jabbed a thumb over to Ichigo with a little smile. "That's Kurosaki Ichigo."

Allen grinned innocently. "Nice to meet you, Rukia. Isn't it nice, Lavi, Lenalee? Some Japanese people actually _let_ me call them by their first name," he said, glaring back at Kanda, who didn't seem to notice.

Instead, Ichigo saw the dark-haired teen glare at him, a hint of loathing in those deep sapphire eyes.

The bell rang for break, and Rukia grabbed Ichigo by the wrist and led him out the door into the courtyard.

"Are you sure you didn't feel anything from those transfer students?" she hissed. Ichigo shook his head. His girlfriend sighed in exasperation before suddenly looking alert. "Look—over there! Isn't that Allen-kun?"

Allen was sitting with Kanda, Lavi, and Lenalee. He promptly ripped off his gloves, rolled up his sleeves, and turned to the large bento sitting next to him. At first, Ichigo thought that Rukia was pointing out the amount of food that the smaller teen was eating (or a better word would be "inhaling"), but on a closer look, he saw it.

Allen's entire left arm was a dark blood red.

Wincing at the grotesque sight, Ichigo angled his head to get a better look. Rukia grabbed his wrist again and dragged him to where the four were sitting. Smiling her innocent, fake smile, she seated herself on the grass and dragged Ichigo down with her.

"Hey, Lenalee, Lavi, Kanda, Allen," she greeted. "Mind if we sit here?" Ichigo could see her eyes following the food that Allen inhaled.

Lenalee shook her head, a wide grin on her face. "Not at all! It's good to have some female company," she added. "Especially when I'm surrounded by these idiots over here." She jabbed an offending thumb to her other three friends before giggling, signifying that she wasn't trying to be offensive.

Rukia smiled. "I know how you feel," she replied, rolling her eyes in Ichigo's direction. Luckily (or maybe unluckily; depending on what reaction one wanted from the orange-headed teen), he was preoccupied.

"… Does he really eat all that?" Ichigo asked, slightly disgusted. He had been watching Allen, and… He shuddered slightly. All the food… all the stacks of bento… were… eaten… without chewing.

Lenalee nodded sheepishly while Kanda gave a curt grunt.

"On his hungry days, he eats twice that amount," Lavi added, unabashed by revealing his friend's (rather embarrassing) eating patterns.

Rukia's eyes trailed down Allen's arm several times. Noticing her new friend's stare, Lenalee stated, "You're wondering about Allen's arm."

Rukia nodded.

Allen put down his empty plate and gingerly wiped his mouth with a napkin. "I was born with it," he said simply, shrugging. "I can't remember a time when my arm wasn't like this, so I guess I was born with it."

Nodding in understanding, Rukia smiled. "I see." Her eyes were fixed on the small, metallic green cross imbedded in Allen's hand, though she didn't ask about it.

On their way back to class—the two had raced ahead of the four new students for the sake of privacy—Rukia gazed curiously at Ichigo. "Are you sure you didn't feel anything around those guys, Ichigo?"

"I'm sure," Ichigo confirmed. "They were just there. Why?"

Rukia frowned.

"Their reiatsu… Up close, they felt similar to a shinigami's."

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All right. Well.

Oh, yes. Before I say anything, I'd just like to let you all know that I'm an IchixRuki fan. IchixOri SUCKS. And Rukia's not over how Renji dissed her, so SUCK IT UP, IchixOri and RenjixRuki fans. It's MY story! (Sorry if I sound possessive, haha.)

I've had the idea of a D. Gray-man and Bleach crossover for quite some time, but a couple of weeks ago I FINALLY managed to seal up all the loose patches between the two storylines-- time, setting, plot, similar enemies... It took forever; trust me. And then... oh, gosh. I faced the worst enemy a crossover author could possibly face when trying to crossover Bleach:

Chainsaw Mafia.

God. You have not seen that girl argue about ANYTHING until you've seen her argue against me about either a -man and Bleach crossover.... or a fem!Kanda fanfic ;D I was seriously entertaining that idea for quite a while. (If you guys want, I'll post what I had of it on my profile. Just add the request onto my profile.)

So, every chapter will start off with an excerpt from The History of the Dark Religious Organization to try to help you understand just what exactly is going on (and those infamous seams that I came up with ;D). It'll also give a head start on what the chapter will start off about. (Like for example, the next chapter talks about what happened to the Innocence, and it goes to.... someone's death in their past life ;D).

I had a really hard time deciding which story to post this under--- D. Gray-man, or Bleach. I ended up posting it as D. Gray-man because... well... I like it better o_o;; (At the moment, anyway... Let's see if Chainsaw Mafia will try to change my mind.)

Oh, yes. Speaking of that weirdo. If you also read Chainsaw Mafia's stories, she won't be able to post anything for about a week or two. She moved. Down the street. -sigh- Talk about unnecessary. But nevertheless, she can't post for two weeks at most while her internet gets all hooked up again.

Haha. Long author's note, huh? xD I'm kinda talkative this time around becase 1) D. GRAY-MAN IS FINALLY COMING BACK :D:D:D:D SOON! I FORGOT THE DATE, BUT WHAT THE HECK. IT'S COMING BACK!!! and 2) yesterday was my close friend's birthday. :D And I shall soon be a year older. :D

Reviews? Comments? Flames? You're-an-idiot-for-trying-to-combine-two-totally-awesome-but-not-meant-to-be-together-manga? Tell me. I'd like to have flame-ers every once in a while... actually, go ahead. Flame me. Just... make it with a purpose. If you're flaming me for all the smilies that I use in my author's note.... Um... sorry. I'd just like some comments on what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong. :D

Sora Pwns x3


	2. Chapter 2

Karakura Exorcists (Crappy title, I know; but what else am I supposed to call it?!)

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Summary: About one hundred and fifty years after the death of the Earl, Karakura Town finds a strange set of visitors. D. Gray-man/Bleach xover; IchixRuki and eventual Yullen.

Well. I don't own D. Gray-man, or Bleach. Don't rub it in. _ But I DO own… this piece of LAND! -pulls out mound of dirt- Someday, I hope to build on it! xD Jaykay. (I forgot what that was from… o_O Someone help me, please?)

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Chapter Two

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Excerpt from a religious text; The History of the Dark Religious Organization, written by Komui Lee, age 54, in the mid-1900's:

_After the Earl's defeat, when an Exorcist died, their Innocence would turn into dust; as a result, it suddenly—and mysteriously—disappeared. Several reports confirm that the Innocence was not taken by Akuma, but that the mysterious material would crumble apart into dust and fade into the wind within the hour of the Exorcist's death. Specialists—including myself—are led to believe that this is because the Earl was killed, and that the remaining Innocence will soon meet the same fate…_

… _The first Exorcist whose Innocence crumbled to pieces was my own dear sister, Lenalee Lee, who fell in an attempt to stop a level 4's attack on a small village._

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Lenalee shot up in her bed, gasping heavily. Sweat trickled down the side of her face; the sheets sprawled haphazardly around her in mounds of wrinkles. Slowly, as if she were hurt, she pulled her knees to her chest and her hands absently traveled to her anklets. She was secretly glad that no one at school had noticed the odd trinkets. They were a crystal blood red, and they were indeed mysterious objects. About a hundred and fifty years ago, they would have been called Innocence; or at the very least, an anti-akuma weapon. Today, Lenalee had no idea what they'd be called. Spiritual mediums? Weapons of exorcism? She didn't care to know, either.

Dark Boots. That's what they were to her.

Of course, Lenalee remembered her old life; her life as an Exorcist. That was why she and the others were alive. They were here to eliminate the surplus of Akuma—Hollows; that's what they were called now. Of course. There were too many Hollows; they weren't being killed off quickly enough. They could overpower everything else, given the chance, the time, and the right moment to strike. She knew that.

She remembered everything in order. Every time she had gone to sleep since she was five, she would have a dream about her life as an Exorcist; starting with the time her incarnation—then the same age as she—was whisked away to the Dark Religious Organization. Every moment of unconsciousness brought more memories.

Naturally, she'd gone through enough unconsciousness to remember her own death. That night was the third time she'd dreamt of it.

Clutching her arms, Lenalee shuddered. Everything was so clear; so crisp and fresh in her mind. The level 4 cackling, taunting her with laughter as it accelerated and surrounded her… The large church that collapsed on her, rendering her immobile… The flash of bright light that finally stole her life, turning her into dust. After all, non-parasitic type Exorcists were subject to the killing effects of an Akuma's poison. It turns out that the crystal type were also vulnerable.

Of course, these days, the Akuma—err, Hollows (she ought to remember to call them that from now on) didn't have any of the poison. They weren't so much as machines now than just despair-filled souls. Any poisonous ones were probably long dead. The dark matter remained, though; however, most Hollows were created with their evolved dark matter, rather than having to kill to obtain it.

After her brother had learned of Lenalee's dreams, Komui had done extensive research on the Dark Religious Order and unearthed a book written by a man sharing her brother's name. It was called The History of the Dark Religious Organization; written sometime around the year 1920.

The text unearthed strange things hidden to the public—the existence of Akuma, their transformation into developed Hollows; the existence of Innocence and a log of all the Exorcists who served in the war against the Earl of the Millennium.

Heaving a shaky sigh, Lenalee picked up the copy of the Dark Order's history Komui had made for her. She leafed through the old pages, reveling in the feel of the rough pages under her fingers.

After learning of the Innocence and the Exorcists, Komui—then a somewhat high-ranking government official in America—gathered four of the more prominent Exorcists, including Lenalee herself. Amazingly, the hobby-scientist managed to find Allen Walker, a British transfer student whose deceased father was a clergyman and the only one with his Innocence at the time; Kanda Yuu, Japanese-American orphan; and Lavi, who somehow knew that he was being sought out and tagged along with Kanda, despite the teen's protests. This had occurred almost two years ago; when she was thirteen.

Though Lenalee was the first one to begin remembering her past as an Exorcist, the first one to have their Innocence was Allen. Komui assured Kanda and Lavi—for the last of the group did not yet remember his position—that it was normal; Komui Lee of times past had mentioned that the Innocence had crumbled at death. Allen's was only back because it was a parasitic-type to begin with.

Speaking of which, Allen had mastered the use of his Innocence just a year prior to his calling by Komui. The child didn't remember that his strange black claw and white cape used to have a different shape; nor could he remember a time when his left claw could not be transformed into that bulky sword. However, his synchronicity rate was still amazingly high; just at critical point, as Komui calculated using the formula in the book. Within their first (and rather raucous) year together, Allen's power had bled to the other three again and soon enough, all three had their Innocences invoked.

Had Lenalee known of Ichigo and his own experiences with power bleeding to other people, she would have compared Allen's phenomena to the shinigami representative's.

The first of them to have their Innocences reawakened was Lenalee. The girl spent most of her time with Allen; his frequent spiritual savings began to rub off some of his power onto some sort of a medium for her. A pair of blood red anklets formed from hundreds upon hundreds of scattered Innocence fragments became her channel; it was comparable to Orihime's.

After Lenalee came Lavi. Lavi hung out with Lenalee, who hung out with Allen; therefore, it was only natural for him to regain his Innocence when he was almost eaten by a Hollow because he was teasing it. His Shape Shifting Hammer was just as he remembered it from a log he had kept and somehow found again.

The last to regain his Innocence was Kanda. The only one who didn't spend time with Allen; it took the longest for Kanda to have Allen's general-like influence spark a light into awakening Mugen. But when the spark finally caught fire, it erupted like a volcano—it came with a lot of destructive power.

In pictures prior to his fifteenth birthday, Allen could be seen with brown hair and auburn eyes. No scars marred his gentle face. But, on the night of his birthday, Allen shot awake, panting heavily, much as Lenalee had that night. His hair was inexplicably white, and he donned silver-blue eyes—or eye; his left eye was bloody and suddenly had a scar running down across it.

Komui, who had some sort of a medical degree as well, had tended to Allen as best as he could. However, the scar was a curse from times past and refused to erase itself from Allen's face.

Then, in that same year, Lavi had found the existence of other beings; beings that served a similar purpose to Exorcists.

Shinigami.

They were only a folk tale in Kanda's heritage; however, these shinigami eliminated Hollows in a similar fashion to how the Exorcists eliminated Akuma.

The shinigami also boasted a different method of evaluating one's power. Instead of synchro rates with their Innocence-like weapons, collectively called zanpakuto, shinigami measured power by one's reiatsu—spirit power. Lavi developed a system to convert an Exorcist's synchro rate into reiatsu.

Allen's reiatsu was definitely the highest; there was a large gap between him and Kanda, the second highest. Lenalee was next, followed by Lavi.

Lavi had pinned down the area of the shinigami's most common visits. It was a small town in Japan, and their destination.

Karakura Town.

Crush on him she may have, Lenalee loathed Lavi for pointing out Karakura Town and the shinigami to her brother. The fact that there were other spiritual beings in Japan convinced Komui to re-instigate the Dark Order in an attempt to recruit them. She and Allen were lucky that Kanda and Lavi were fluent enough in Japanese to teach them the language.

With a heavy sigh, Lenalee slapped the book shut. Glancing at the clock, she blew her hair out of her face and slunk back into her bed.

She shut her eyes and prayed that she wouldn't have the same dream again.

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"Good morning, Kanda, Lavi, Allen," Lenalee greeted cheerfully as the three walked out of their apartment. "Don't get lost this time, Allen," she scolded in English as the Englishman came down the stairs. "Stay with Lavi!"

Lavi dangled his bag off the top of the rail, high above Lenalee. "Or even better, you can drive to school with Komui," he offered.

An awkward silence settled among the four. Each of them, Lenalee especially, knew of Komui's bad driving skills.

"Che," Kanda said finally, breaking the quiet. "Let's go. We're going to be late," he added in choppy Japanese. The words formed somewhat awkwardly; a result of not speaking his native language in several years.

As they walked down the street, a large amount of screaming drew the former Exorcists' attention.

"ICHIGOOOO!" a masculine voice shrieked rather femininely. A crash was heard, and Allen involuntarily winced. Kanda glared on.

The four stopped in front of the house creating the noise. It was a family-run clinic; that was obvious enough. The front door was brutally kicked open, revealing the orange-haired Kurosaki Ichigo and, close behind him, Kuchiki Rukia.

A wide grin spread across Lenalee's face. "Rukia!" she called eagerly, waving her hand to her friend.

Kanda's face fell into a deeper grimace. He personally didn't like Ichigo too much; there was something weird about him.

Regardless of Kanda's thoughts, Rukia and the strawberry—that, Kanda decided, was what he was to call Ichigo—quickly came over, smile, grimace, and all. The two—or Rukia, at least—quickly immersed themselves in talk with the other three, leaving Kanda out in his little corner of emo-ness.

The once-swordsman didn't particularly mind; he was a loner in the first place. Not like that bean sprout over there… Kanda found his eyes wandering to the head of white hair; the saccharine smile plastered on that near-flawless face. He quickly shook his head, disrupting waves of raven black hair.

That bean sprout had some sort of an alluring curse; he drew Kanda in like a mystifying saber dance. The blades were entrancing to watch, but if he were to try to approach the dancer, Kanda would find the blades at his throat. He found it quite ironic.

"Does Kanda over there talk at all?" Ichigo asked, glancing oddly over at the ex-swordsman, who glared.

"Che. What do you think, strawberry?" The Japanese rolled off his tongue more easily now; he just needed practice.

The orange-head grimaced. "I was just thinking you're a—"

"Looks like someone needs an attitude adjustment," Rukia interjected cheerfully, stomping on her boyfriend's foot in a rather conspicuous attempt to shut him up before something inappropriate was said or done.

Sighing, the substitute shinigami scratched his head as Rukia chatted with Allen and Lenalee; Lavi and Kanda occupied themselves rather noisily. He could hear their chattering until Lavi brought up an interesting topic.

"Rukia-chan," he began, addressing Ichigo's girlfriend, "have you heard rumors of… _ghosts_ around here?"

Ichigo glanced at his girlfriend through the corner of his eye. Her expression remained infallible, as expected of someone of noble blood. He tried to keep his face straight as well, to keep up the façade.

With a sweet smile, Rukia spoke as innocently as she possibly could, slathering layers upon layers of the sweetest lies onto her voice. "Why, I haven't heard that, Lavi. Who told you something like that?"

"I just wanted to know… in case you happened to be scared," Lavi added smoothly, sliding a hand around Rukia's waist.

Now, two of three things happened here; the third was about to happen but didn't. First, Ichigo immediately slapped Lavi's hand away, scoring a pathetic yelp from the ex-Bookman, and then Lenalee yanked his ear away from her friend. Rukia could only stand there, her leg lifted halfway in the kick she had prepared for Lavi. Unfortunately, the chance to use it had died away the instant she had thought to use it against the advancing boy. Lenalee pulled him aside and scolded him vehemently.

"… hurry the fuck up, bean sprout," Kanda called over his shoulder. Everyone else turned around, finally noticing the white-haired kid's absence.

Finally, they could see the kid's telltale silver hair emerge from around a street that Ichigo didn't even remember seeing. Ever.

Heaving an indignant sigh, Allen spoke in rapid English. Ichigo, although a (surprisingly) top student in his class, could barely make out some of the words in English. Allen's quick snap of "How many times do I have to tell you, stupid Kanda? My name is Allen" came out as, after being funneled through Ichigo's (rather slow) brain, something like "How… tell… Kanda? … My name… Allen", which, of course, hardly made any sense.

"Che," Kanda spat, regardless of Ichigo's confusion and Allen's indignant remark. The orange head noticed that he reverted back to Japanese. Thank God; he could actually understand them now… "You're in Japan, _moyashi_. Speak Japanese and blend in with the people here… or are you to stupid to do that?"

Before Allen could make a witty remark that Ichigo was sure would be in English, the shortest of the three clamped his mouth shut and walked as pointedly and purposefully as possible ahead of the group.

"Oh, yeah… Lenalee," Ichigo called over his shoulder, turning to look at the trio behind him. Rukia's eyes perked and she grinned rather oddly, the way she would when alone with Renji, Matsumoto, and him.

"Ahh, Ichigo," she announced rather haughtily, clamping a hand onto her taller accomplice's shoulder. "Long time no see! Glad you finally noticed us back here. Were you too involved with trying to place on a move on one of those two?"

"What?!" Kanda and Ichigo snapped at the same time. Allen froze up, but continued to stride forward.

Lenalee giggled. "She's kidding, Ichigo, Kanda. What do you need?"

He sighed, scratching the back of his head absently. "I just wanted to know… Where's Komui-sensei? Shouldn't he have taken you to school?"

"Yeah, Komui-nii-san normally would," the shorthaired girl replied, a slight hint of bitterness apparent in her voice. "But he decided today wasn't a good day to drive me to school; he said he had some work to do before we got here."

Ichigo nodded slowly when Rukia grabbed his wrist. Both of her hands fit snugly around his wrist as she dragged his shoulder down.

"I need to talk to you alone during lunch," she whispered.

-

After an exhilaratingly scary lesson on European history by Komui-sensei, Rukia and Ichigo managed to snag a quiet corner in the back where they could talk. Unfortunately, Chad, Orihime, and Ishida were held back because Kanda had snapped at them, sparking an argument between his three classmates during class. As understandable, Kanda was held back as well. Upon finding the quiet little spot, Rukia jogged forward and sat down by the tree to claim it.

Promptly, the young-looking teen flipped open a cell phone-like transmitter to connect with Soul Society. After punching in a few numbers, she finally snapped it shut. Violet eyes met piercing amber irises.

"They're not ordinary humans," Rukia sighed at length.

Ichigo scoffed, sitting down next to her. "That much is obvious. Up close, I could feel someone's reiatsu. It was really strong."

"It's almost as strong as yours," she added quietly.

Ichigo turned to look at his girlfriend. A contemplating look was on her face—it was the one she used back at the Soul Society.

A noble's solid, impeccable face.

"That strong one came from Allen-kun. Remember the hidden one I had talked about with Inoue and Ishida? That one is Lavi's. Lenalee's reiatsu is somewhat hidden; it's a bit sloppy, but it's pretty well-hidden for a human." She chuckled lightly. "Her disguising is way better than yours; that's for sure."

"So what are we going to do about it?"

Rukia flipped open her transmitter again. "That's what I called you out here for, Ichigo. We're going to call Soul Society."

She punched in a few numbers again, pressed the receiver to her ear, and then pushed another button. The dial tone rang out from the speakers.

"Hello, Kuchiki-san. What do you need to report?"

"There are four new, unidentified reiatsu in Karakura Town. They are similar to a shinigami's, so I'm requesting permission to stand by and observe for several days, maybe a few weeks, with the Shinigami Substitute, Kurosaki Ichigo, should he need backup. He happens to be in their class."

There was a pause as the operator scribbled down a few notes. The voice came back on again. "Thank you, Kuchiki-san. We will contact you as soon as possible with any information on what you are allowed to use. However, release of your zanpakuto is banned at the moment." That's the way it had been since Aizen was executed; there was nothing new about that.

"Thank you."

After Rukia shut her phone and slipped it in her pocket again, Ichigo sat back down. "Well, I was a big help there," he remarked.

Before she could say anything, Ichigo's Seal of Approval and the transmitter reacted at the same time. The couple looked at each other, the same two thoughts flitting through their minds.

There are Hollows in the vicinity.

Will the new transfer students be there?

-

When Rukia and Ichigo noticed the Hollows' presence, the Exorcists had already begun to make their move on the intruding Akuma.

Allen's eye had foreseen it all. The eye had gone crazy in its socket, finally announcing the presence of some Akuma.

The Exorcists grabbed their weapons (in the case of Kanda and Lavi) and shot out the door. Kanda reluctantly held back, relying on the stupid bean sprout to determine where the damn Aku—Hollow was. He corrected himself for his own sake; Komui had stressed that they call the Akuma Hollows. Personally, no one wanted to see what Komui could come up with as punishment.

A young girl—most likely a stray spirit—ran by, shrieking. The Exorcists had no time to react to her, for Allen muttered a quick warning—"They're here, guys"—before invoking his Innocence.

"Innocence, activate!"

He never got tired of the feeling that washed over him as he activated his weapon. _Crown Clown_, it whispered in his ear_._ It was a kind of warmth; the desire to protect settling on his shoulders as his cloak enveloped him. His left hand extended; the claw reaching out in elongated, black fingers sharpened to a deadly point. The cool metal of the mask settled on Allen's face, clearing off his left eye's peripheral vision.

Kanda fell into his quiet, brief moment of meditation before invoking his own Innocence. Finally opening his eyes, he hardened them with the instinct to fight. Grabbing the hilt of his sword, Mugen, Kanda wrenched it out of the sheath. "Mugen,_ battou_!" He pressed two fingers against the base of the blade and pulled outwards. The familiar metallic sound of a sword being pulled out of its scabbard rang out.

Tightly gripping the small handle on the figurine-like hammer that was his Innocence, Lavi took a fighting stance. As if by magic, the handle extended and grew to fit firmly in his grip. Lavi smirked. "_Odzuchi Kozuchi_! _Ban, ban, ban_!"

Lenalee couldn't shake off the eerie feeling her Innocence had given her that morning, but put it aside. She had business to take care of. "Dark Boots, activate!" Her blood red anklets grew to encompass her legs in a pair of dark boots. Butterflies decorated their high-heeled ends. (Surely anyone would fall in those heels…? Those things are HIGH.)

Four Exorcists might be overkill for one Akuma/Hollow, but they couldn't be too sure of themselves—especially Allen. Although he was the strongest, Allen remembered the least of his life as an Exorcist. This irked Kanda, especially when Kanda remembered about their relationship and Allen didn't. ("Che," he would snort contemptuously. "That bean sprout was the first one to admit it, too.")

However, romance was the least of their worries. The Hollow arose, its heartless scream making Allen and Lenalee shudder slightly. As if on cue, more Hollows gathered around the four reincarnated Exorcists. Kanda gave an indignant snort as Lavi grinned, voicing their thoughts.

"Well, won't this be fun?"

At the same time, the redhead's amused expression disappeared as wonder struck his face. He glanced around, almost in a full circle, before his eye fixated on one point and the grin arose again. A pair of black shihakusho, outlined against the sky, stood not too far from where the Exorcists were.

To his comrades, he called, "We've got company."

Ichigo and Rukia were no doubt surprised by what they encountered. It wasn't beyond what they'd encountered before, but to think…

But to think… there were other humans that had spiritual power that had manifested itself in a weapon form already.

Allen, with his clawed left arm and bankai-like change of clothing.

Lenalee, with her green-flamed, butterfly-decorated black boots.

Kanda, with his zanpakuto-like sword.

Lavi, with that odd, gothic-style hammer.

Rukia knew on sight that each of those weapons had some sort of spiritual power manifested inside it. How it had come to be escaped her; it was a concept beyond that which she had experienced. However, she had an idea.

Brushing all thoughts aside with the cry of the hollow, she drew her sword. A whisper of cloth beside her told Rukia that Ichigo was doing the same.

"Stay on guard," she murmured, not so much as a warning to Ichigo as it was to herself. "You don't know if they'll turn on you."

The two shinigami leaped forward, swords raised in an attack at two of the Hollows. Both of them hit the earth, effectively slicing one Hollow each. They split up, rushing in different directions.

In the corner of her eye, Rukia saw Lenalee take to the sky and slice open several of the Hollows with one graceful, midair kick. Holding up her zanpakuto in a parry, she glanced out in the other direction to catch Lavi swat away three Hollows with a swipe of his shape-shifting hammer.

Ichigo, after cutting down his first Hollow, saw Kanda's (rather reckless and similar to his own) swordplay. With a smirk, the orange-head stepped in to slice open an advancing Hollow. Noting the absence of the Hollow that had previously been there, Kanda glanced back and grimaced.

"I could have gotten that," he said tersely.

Ichigo smirked. "Really, now? It looked like you were kind of busy."

A white, threadlike substance divided the two, making Kanda take back the step he had just made forward in an attempt to intimidate the other. The reincarnated swordsman glared at the invocator of the substance.

"Hey, bean sprout! Watch where you're attacking!"

An innocent smile plastered on his face, Allen replied a cheery "yes, sir" before turning to slice open two Hollows with his left hand.

Before long, all of the Hollows were exorcised; but before the Exorcists could turn and make their escape, Rukia's voice knotted around them tightly.

"Wait!"

Her authoritative voice made Allen and Lenalee hesitate. Noticing their hesitation, the other two stopped as well.

Violet eyes searched the faces of her new classmates. "Who… who exactly are you people? How…"

"How do you see Hollows?" Ichigo finished as his girlfriend's voice died away, unable to finish her sentence.

Lavi squatted. "Well," he replied cheerfully in an attempt to lighten the mood, "you might want to sit down if you want the whole story."

Lenalee, Kanda, and Allen glared. "Lavi," Allen drawled, "if you're the one to explain to them about us, we'll be up all night."

"More like for the rest of the week," Kanda grumbled. "Damn Bookman training. Learn to make things short."

With a sigh, Lenalee closed the distance between the Exorcists and shinigami. Holding out her hand to Rukia, she grinned. "We'll tell you, if you'll come back with us."

Before Rukia could act, Ichigo grabbed her hand firmly.

"Tell us everything. Don't leave anything out."

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Well. How was that? I think that was the longest chapter I've written. o_o

Umm, sorry about this. I'd finished this chapter last week and came to this page with the intention of uploading it, but then the weird "My Stories" page was being stupid... and then I posted a new story... and tried it again... and it worked. Huzzah.

Liked it? Hated it? Loved it? If there are any questions, feel free to ask (although I do believe htey'll be answered next chapter, along with a bit of story direction). :D Thanks in advance for any reviews~

Sora Pwns x3


	3. Chapter 3

Karakura Exorcists (Crappy title, I know; but what else am I supposed to call it?!)

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Summary: About one hundred and fifty years after the death of the Earl, Karakura Town finds a strange set of visitors. D. Gray-man/Bleach xover; IchixRuki and eventual Yullen.

Well. I don't own D. Gray-man, or Bleach. Don't rub it in. _ But I DO own… this piece of LAND! -pulls out mound of dirt- Someday, I hope to build on it! xD Jaykay. (I forgot what that was from… o_O Someone help me, please?)

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Chapter 3

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Excerpt from a religious text; The History of the Dark Religious Organization, written by Komui Lee, age 54, in the mid-1900's:

_Not too long after the original "Hollows" were discovered, which was shortly before the defeat of the Earl, our remaining Exorcists began reporting sightings of black-clad Japanese-style samurai defeating the Akuma before the Exorcists could get onto the scene. The swords they claimed to have wielded had the same effect as the Innocence, according to cursed Exorcist Allen Walker._

_  
The Order sent Yuu Kanda, a Japanese Exorcist, to interpret for us. He found, on our behalf, that creatures like the Akuma had existed for centuries._

_With this in formation, we are led to believe that the Earl modeled the Akuma after the Hollows, which the samurai—they called themselves "shinigami", or "gods of death"—called them. We also believe that their swords—or "zanpakuto"—are fragments of previously destroyed or derived from pieces of Innocence…_

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"We are Exorcists," Lenalee stated, beginning her story.

Ichigo's eyebrows furrowed a bit more as he leaned back into the seat. "Exorcists? You mean those weird guys in the freaky clothes that go around and cry out, 'Begone, evil spirits!'?" He could hardly imagine that asshole Kanda doing such a thing… or even wearing the freaky clothes.

The female Exorcist and Lavi chuckled light-heartedly. However, Kanda and Allen seemed to be rather embarrassed—or in the Japanese-American Kanda's case, angered—by the misconception.

"No, of course not," she replied cheerfully.

"She's right," Lavi interrupted, the beginnings of a smile blooming onto his face. "That's more of what you shinigami are."

"How do you know what we are?" Rukia asked immediately.

A shadow crossed Lavi's face. The Exorcists knew that look, and the two shinigami began to understand what it meant. "That is for me to know, and for you to find out."

"Anyway," Lenalee continued, brightening the atmosphere, "let's continue, shall we?"

Kanda rested his cheek against his fist. Lavi and Allen also assumed positions in which they'd be comfortable before Lenalee actually continued.

"We stand here today as reincarnations of past Exorcists; the Exorcists who were the most involved in defeating our arch-nemesis, the Earl of the Millennium. We Exorcists use a mystical kind of artifact—something called Innocence—as our source of power. Innocence are like zanpakuto; they manifest differently in everyone."

Rukia straightened a bit in her seat. "So if two people had two different Innocences, the Innocence would take a different form with both people?"

Lenalee tilted her head slightly. "If both people were compatible, then yes; the Innocence would take different forms. However, it is very rare to find someone compatible with Innocence. But, if it manifests, it may become a sort of weapon—" Here, she motioned to Kanda's Mugen, lying harmlessly on the table—"a part of your body—" she pointed at Allen's arm—"or it can, at the cost of the user's blood, manifest itself as a combination of the two." Her hand swept by the blood red anklets on her feet.

"Each type has its advantage," Allen added. "People who have Innocence as part of their body have resistance to the Ak—I mean, Hollow's poison." To the skeptical looks of the shinigami, he quickly answered, "Hollows of our day, called Akuma, had a special kind of poison that quickly corroded a person's body in a few seconds. However, since Akuma and their purposes have changed, Hollows don't have any poison anymore."

Lavi nodded and opened his mouth to speak. Lenalee's hand quickly shot up to cover it. "You're just going to keep rambling," she grumbled. Smiling at the two shinigami, she quickly explained, "In our old lives, Lavi was a member of the clan who stored all the information in the world—like a scribe. We're just afraid that, if we get Lavi started, he'll never shut up. Ever."

Kanda scoffed. "Not like he ever does."

"How mean, Yuu-chan!" Lavi suddenly protested, standing up and startling Lenalee. "I do too shut up!"

The swordsman glanced at the bookman through the corner of his eyes loathingly. "Really, then? Name five times where you couldn't think of anything witty and stupid to say," he challenged coolly. "And don't call me by my first name," he added rather angrily; through gritted teeth.

The redhead stood, poised in thought. "… Now?" he said in a questioning tone.

Allen sighed. "Lavi, let's go outside for a bit. Obviously, this isn't doing anything good for you…"

"No, no; it's fine, Allen. I just want to sit here with Yuu-chan."

In a split second, Mugen was off of the table, unsheathed, and at Lavi's neck. "Don't call me that!" Kanda snapped, even louder than before.

"Hey…" Ichigo and Rukia began, but Lenalee shook her head, smiling. She didn't seem disturbed in the least.

"It's fine. They did this all the time in our old lives, too. It's actually quite amusing to watch, if you can accept the fact that none of them are going to die."

The two shinigami exchanged nervous glances.

"Anyway," she sighed, ignoring the spectacle that was quickly moving outside as Lavi bounded out the door, "the Innocence is our form of reiatsu. Lavi developed a conversion formula for our sync-rate—the way to measure the power of one's Innocence at the moment—into a measurement of reiatsu."

Lavi poked his head through the door again. "It's a genius formula!" he added, a large grin spreading across his face despite his situation.

Allen, who had strolled back inside, sat down and looked Ichigo in the eye. "If our conversion formula is true, then my sync-rate, which is beyond 100% (critical point if you want to be term-savvy), is about equal to yours, Ichigo, which is a captain's reiatsu level. I guess a captain in our vocabulary would be called a general." Allen's tone was critical; mocking, even, and his face contorted as if sniffing something rotten. Obviously, he was thinking of the one and only General Marian Cross, his hated mentor.

"At any rate, the rest of us, who are still reaching up to critical point, have the reiatsu of an average shinigami in the Gotei Thirteen," Lenalee continued. "We don't have too many samples yet so we can't be too sure, but we believe ourselves to have a reiatsu equal to that of a third- or fifth-seat officer."

Rukia's eyes hardened, despite the fact that they were narrowing down on a new friend. "So, if you really have that much power, how come our scouts have never found you? Surely our men stationed in the real world should have noticed you."

"Che. Maybe because your men are stupid?" Kanda replied bitterly, taking a seat on the couch next to Allen.

With a small pout, Allen scolded, "Kanda! Don't be so rude! Rukia, I would have to say that it's because our powers hadn't advanced.

"What's going on with the Exorcists is that, in America, the reincarnated Exorcists are slowly conglomerating towards a place of spiritual power, much like Karakura Town. However, this place shifts very often; usually to a place where there is a person who held a lot of power in the Dark Religious Order. We came to Komui, Lenalee's brother."

She nodded. "Allen was suddenly overcome with the desire to move to America, and so he did. Komui-nii-san and I were born in America, but we are of Chinese descent and were living in California at the time. We didn't have to move. On the other hand, Kanda and Lavi moved from the east coast to Long Beach, where we lived.

"The strange thing about this, though, is that only Kanda and I, who were both thirteen when we were all together again, remembered the Dark Order. Lavi did extensive research to trigger his memory; otherwise, he would have regained it only half a year ago or so. Allen was the last to remember. As we continued to remember our pasts, our sync-rates increased rapidly."

Ichigo's eyes widened slightly. He leaned forward in interest. "So… do you guys know why that happened?"

The white-haired Exorcist shook his head. "We do have an idea, though. We believe that it's related to the age in which we entered the Order. For example, Lenalee joined the Order as an Exorcist when she was about five years old. Komui told me that she began having dreams of her old life around her fifth birthday. Kanda joined the Order at a young age as well; he also remembered around the age of his acceptance. As for Lavi and I, we both entered at fifteen. However, Lavi doesn't really count towards this theory because he triggered his memory through research."

"So… your memory isn't complete?" Rukia murmured. "You're fifteen-and-a-half now, right? How long were you in the Order for?"

Allen gave a small smile. "Yeah, it's not complete yet. I was officially in the Order for about a year-and-a-half before the Earl of Millennium was defeated. There are lots of things I still have to remember," he murmured softly. "Like the thing that Kanda's always angry about," he added, just under his breath.

The swordsman gave him a sidelong glance before adding, just loud enough for Allen to hear, "Damn right."

Someone pounded on the door. Allen mumbled a quick excuse and opened the door. Lavi tumbled into the entryway, bound and gagged. Everyone glanced at Kanda, who only gave an indignant "che" before kicking the Bookman back out and slamming it into the frame again. Muffled shouts of protest accompanied rapid thumping—which the Exorcists assumed to be Lavi's feet—as he tried to re-enter.

Kanda sighed, attached the chain lock, and retreated to his room, leaving behind a shocked group of people.

"… Does that always happen?" Ichigo asked quietly.

Allen nodded, sitting cross-legged on the floor.

"Is it just coincidence," Rukia began, attempting to break the awkward silence, "or were you all the same age back then, too? I mean, you guys are all juniors now, right? The same age, too?"

Lenalee shook her head. "No; we were different ages in our past lives. Kanda and Lavi were two years older than Allen and me. I guess that, in this life, God wanted us to be the same age to keep us together."

"If that's the case," Ichigo began, "then doesn't that mean Kanda and Lavi's memories aren't complete, either?"

Allen and Lenalee glanced at each other. "We don't really know," Lenalee confessed. "Kanda doesn't tell us, and Lavi refuses to let us in on such a secret. You could try asking them, but Allen and I don't know."

"Do you…" Rukia pursed her lips before beginning again. "Will you be of any risk to the Soul Society?"

Lenalee held her hands out in front of her shaking her head. "No! No, of course not! We only wish to see the Aku—I mean, Hollows eliminated."

"So how do you guys know that there's a Hollow around? Do you guys like, patrol or anything?" Ichigo asked.

"That's my job," Allen replied, waving his hand from his seat on the floor. He pointed to his left eye. "This eye is cursed," he began. "It was cursed in my past life, and continues to haunt me now. It alerts me of the presence of an Aku—err, Hollow, when it is within a 300-meter radius. For example…" he trailed off.

Suddenly, a mechanical whizzing sound resonated through the room as his left eye turned black, with red rings as irises. An odd glass-like accessory covered it, and the kid smiled. "There's a Hollow approximately 50 meters away from us; approaching quickly." Startled, Rukia and Ichigo stood up, but Allen's hand stopped them. "I think Kanda will get it; no worries."

As if on cue, the swordsman burst out of his door, Mugen in hand, and glared at Allen. "Hey, bean sprout. Where's the Hollow?"

Allen pointed nonchalantly in the direction that he foresaw and didn't seem to mind—or care, for that matter—as Kanda practically flew past him.

The cell phone transmitter in her pocket alerted Rukia. She flipped open the phone and pressed the receiver to her ear. Curious, Ichigo leaned over towards his girlfriend and listened.

"Kuchiki-san, what have you gathered on the new reiatsu?"

It couldn't be… Her eyebrows furrowed slightly. Rukia's other hand came up to the phone as well. "… Kurotsuchi-taichou?"

Of course, it couldn't be anyone else than the pushy, knowledge-deprived twelfth captain, but she could be wrong. She hoped she was wrong.

Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri was, by all means, a force to be reckoned with. As a captain, he was exceptionally strong. However, that wasn't what made him fearsome. As the captain of the twelfth squad, Captain Kurotsuchi was the head of the Department of Research and Development, the Soul Society's own scientific research lab. His questionable usage of his scientific materials could be considered cheating in a fight, for he uses "cheap" tactics to gain an edge over his opponent. Personally, Rukia would rather steer clear of him forever than face him anywhere—on or off the battlefield.

"Nevermind that; what of the new reiatsu? I see here that you are currently conversing with them," he ushered. "What have you discovered?"

Rukia stood up and quickly murmured an exclusion from the table. She left in favor of Lenalee's room, hastily closing the door after she entered.

"They're of no harm, Kurotsuchi-taichou," she affirmed. "They only wish to see the excess Hollows eliminated. They are of no significance to the Soul Society, nor are they a threat to the balance of souls."

The captain's tone was rough. "I didn't ask if they were a threat. I told you to tell me what you discovered about them."

It was all Rukia could do to prevent her annoyance from creeping into her tone. "Please excuse my incompetence, Kurotsuchi-taichou.

"The new reiatsu are Exorcists who belong to a religious group from the 1800's, called the Dark Religious Order. They have items crafted from a source called Innocence that have the same effect on Hollows as zanpakuto."

She could imagine the captain's irritated grimace. "And?" he pressed. "Have you discovered anything else?"

Rukia squeezed her eyes shut, taking a deep, steady breath. She hated dealing with Kurotsuchi-taichou. "I was in the middle of that, sir. I would have had more information if you had not interfered with this phone call." Her voice was surprisingly even and calm; she surprised herself sometimes.

"Who is the strongest?"

"… Excuse me, sir?"

The grimace was there; Rukia could almost see it now. The strained, bulging eyes… She shuddered. "Who is the strongest out of the Exorcists?"

"That would have to be Allen Walker, sir."

"Good," he said tersely. Most of the captain's annoyance had bled from his tone. "Bring him to me when you are recalled to the Soul Society; I will personally perform some experiments on him."

Rukia frowned. "I'm afraid I can't do that, sir."

"And why not?"

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Rukia inhaled deeply. "That would be disrupting the world of the living, sir. That is against what we shinigami stand for. Therefore, I cannot take Allen Walker to the Soul Society."

An audible grunt came from the other end. "I will talk to Genryuusai, then. Stand by, and await any orders, Kuchiki. However, one way or another, Albert Winchester will be coming to the Soul Society."

She scowled. "… That's Allen Walker, sir," Rukia began to say, but was interrupted by the harsh, monotonous dial tone.

With a sigh, Rukia snapped her phone shut and strode out of the room. Kanda and Lavi had rejoined the group at the table, and all eyes were on her. She gave a moment's hesitation before speaking.

"I've got some good news, and some bad news." She paused a brief moment before grimacing and continuing. "Scratch that; only bad news."

Ichigo scowled. "What did Kurotsuchi want?"

Her violet eyes fixed on Allen Walker.

"He wants me to take Allen Walker to the Soul Society for some experimenting." She glanced ruefully at Lenalee, whose face fell into horror; then to Allen, who turned even paler than he naturally was.

"I can guarantee you all; it's not going to be pretty."

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All right. Well, there's some sort of a cliffhanger. We've got the creepy scientist/captain threat swooping down on us all. SAVE US. (moment of extreme randomness....)

I've had this done for a while, but I got kinda paranoid about the fluidity of it after I got a comment about rushing explanations (THANK YOU PennyArcadeFan2. Those are the kind of reviews I'd love to get more often. Not getting them means I can't get better D: And is this chapter a bit better...?). I wanted to make sure I had it fixed in this chapter; it would be awesome if I'd cleaned it up. I'd love to see more critique-ish reviews.

And... then Chainsaw Mafia just has to go and inflate my ego... "This has got to be your best work yet." Yeah. Go ahead and inflate that baby up some more; I hope I don't disappoint.

So again: anything to fix, anything to comment on... PLEASE DO SO. If you think something to yourself while reading this, TYPE IT INTO A REVIEW. -dies of lack of stuff to work on- HONESTLY, PEOPLE. D: I'M STARVING HERE.

Thanks in advance if you review :D

Sora Pwns x3


	4. Chapter 4

Karakura Exorcists (Crappy title, I know; but what else am I supposed to call it?!)

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Summary: About one hundred and fifty years after the death of the Earl, Karakura Town finds a strange set of visitors. D. Gray-man/Bleach xover; IchixRuki and eventual Yullen.

Well. I don't own D. Gray-man, or Bleach. Don't rub it in. _ But I DO own… this piece of LAND! -pulls out mound of dirt- Someday, I hope to build on it! xD Jaykay. (I forgot what that was from… o_O Someone help me, please?)

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Chapter Four

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Excerpt from a religious text; The History of the Dark Religious Organization, written by Komui Lee, age 54, in the mid-1900's:

… _Out of all the Exorcists, the most forceful one was Yuu Kanda. He was known among the Finders to be the most critical and irritable. However, he had circumstances that allowed him to feel the way he did… For most of his life, Yuu Kanda was pressed for time… and that made it impossible for him to waste time in a place when he could be fighting. Don't take him for a patriotic person; Kanda wasn't like that. Kanda fought because it was what he felt he had to do._

… _I am proud to say that Yuu Kanda died a true warrior's death; fighting to his very last breath._

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With a suppressed sigh, Kanda slammed the door shut after he strode in. He leaned against the door, slumping slightly, and pressed a hand to his forehead. Sapphire eyes caught the light of an antique hourglass. The withered remains of a lotus remained, despite the challenge of time.

The swordsman couldn't help but run a couple of fingers over the fine glass. If he closed his eyes, Kanda could still imagine the soft glow of life the flower had emitted in his past life almost two hundred years ago. Of course, the flower was long dead, but its withered petals still sat, undisturbed at the bottom of the glass.

If he closed his eyes, he could also see something dear to him. It had broken his rock-hard shell of hatred, and grew roots around his heart. Moreover, it had made him desire that something; he lusted for it.

If only Allen Walker could be his once again.

Like the remains of the lotus, Kanda's desire for the bean sprout had weathered time and sped into the present. He could still feel Allen's touch; clear as day and as addicting as nicotine. It was clear even in the swordsman's last moments, despite the damn bean sprout's painfully obvious absence.

He gritted his teeth. Of all the things to remember about his past, Kanda hated his death the most. It wasn't because he thought it pitiful; no, he despised his death because he knew he could have done so much more during his life, and for it to end because a stupid lotus had finally withered away… Okay, so maybe he was _slightly_ irritated that his fateful end was rather pitiful. It was fresh in his mind.

_One of the last few level 4s was before him, and several remaining level 2s surrounded him as he edged away from the hotel in Edo, where he was currently stationed. The pain jolting through his leg was from when he had dodged a bullet, _lost his balance_—what kind of Exorcist was he, losing his balance at such a critical time…?—and crashed into a nearby rock, legs first. The pain would slow him down, and the lotus—he was fully aware of its status—was down to its last petal._

_At least he had outlasted the Earl's death._

_The level 2s were quickly eliminated, and although he defeated the level 4, Kanda didn't walk out of it unharmed. With his body covered in wayward scratches and several more severe injuries, he knew that his life reserves would dry themselves up as the wounds healed themselves. Since Kanda had no control over the reserves, he could only continue forward with the knowledge that he was to die._

"Che," he growled, shoving the hourglass into his sock drawer and snapping it shut, as he always did when angry.

And to top it off, the damn bean sprout didn't even remember that they used to be lovers.

Now beyond irritated, Kanda grabbed Mugen and opened up the dinky window in his room. He slipped outside, hoping to find a Hollow that the damn bean sprout didn't get to first. God damn; he needed to _vent_.

"_He wants me to take Allen Walker to the Soul Society for some experimenting._ _I can guarantee you all; it's not going to be pretty."_

He gritted his teeth again. Rukia… she was obviously someone to be observed. Although she seemed to be an ally—even Kanda had to admit that she was nice, even if she had her moments—her superiors could force her against the Order. Kanda knew well from experience that, even if something was against one's morals, enforcement from the superiors would always overpower one's opinion.

Something stirred in his peripheral vision. Skidding his feet against the roof he was currently on, Kanda rotated his body to get a better look. An actual Akuma—a true-to-life _Akuma,_ level one, complete with the horrid white mask and gigantic ball-shape—rose above the other roofs of Karakura town.

Somewhere close to there, someone screamed.

"Fuck," Kanda hissed before heading towards that direction. He didn't bother to go back to the other Exorcists; he knew they were aware of it.

How the fuck could an Akuma exist now? There was no Creator; it couldn't have just appeared all by itself! It couldn't have outlasted time, could it? It was nearly impossible to think of, but yet…

As Kanda came closer, his grimace deepened, and a small snarl escaped his lips. He spat on the ground.

"Mikk."

Sure enough, the Portuguese man stood by the Akuma. It appeared that time hadn't affected him, either, but Kanda was so sure that he had killed Mikk; so sure…

And yet, he was here.

The fact that he was even here was one thing to take in; the attire that he bore was even more to be concerned.

Although it blended horribly with his features, Mikk bore a shinigami's black shihakusho. Even stoic Kanda had to stifle a chuckle against the horrendous mix that was a Portuguese and a Japanese shihakusho. He stood triumphantly on the Akuma, oblivious to Kanda's inner turmoil.

Tyki Mikk let out an amused cackle. "My, my, Kanda; why do you seem so surprised? I'm a soul; of course I would have departed to the Soul Society. But then again, who would've thought that I'd become a shinigami?"

"I sure as hell didn't," Kanda snapped, finally over the sight. "What the hell do you want here? And how the hell is this Akuma here?"

Mikk's expression remained amused. "Ahh, but Kanda… Don't you know? This isn't even an Akuma. It's a Hollow disguised as an Akuma."

With a snap of his fingers, the level 1 form disappeared, and a Hollow roared in its place. The swordsman frowned, but drew his Mugen anyway.

"Oh? You don't know what a Hollow is? Hmm; you never were a bright one, Exorcist," Tyki frowned.

"Mikk! What are you doing?!" a horrified voice called from behind Kanda. He turned to see Rukia heading the group approaching them. Rukia had called out to him the first time around. She shouted again, her face contorted in horror. "Mikk! Are you here on Kurotsuchi's orders?!"

"That guy's in Kurotsuchi's squad?" Ichigo asked, horrified.

Rukia nodded shortly. "He transferred out of my squad—out of the 13th—and into the 12th. This was long before you came, Ichigo," she said to his skeptical glance. She shot the man a loathing glare. "Though we kinda expected him to end up in the 8th where all the other _lazy, womanizing perverts _are."

Mikk chuckled heartily before drawing his sword and carelessly destroying the Hollow. "Ahh, Rukia; so piercingly sarcastic as always," he grinned. "Long time no see! I see you're with Allen Walker. I believe you're aware of my captain's interest in him?"

Allen grimaced and ripped off his glove. "I'm not going anywhere near that captain of yours," he snarled.

"Oh, but my dear Allen," Tyki began, drifting down in front of the white-haired teen, "you really have no choice. It is with Genryuusai-taichou's permission that I am here to take you back to Soul Society."

Rukia's face fell. "Genryuusai-taichou… allowed this?" she whispered hoarsely. "It hasn't even been an hour and—"

Mikk's smirk fell upon her. "Yes, but fortunately, Genryuusai-taichou was in a generous mood and gave Kurotsuchi-taichou an immediate audience. It turns out that he, too, wants to see the extent of the Exorcists' power," he drawled. "Of course, they were none compared to the Noah…"

The two shinigami glanced over at Allen and Lenalee, who gave them a painful glance that clearly said, "Sorry, but we'll tell you later."

"But at any rate," Mikk continued, the smirk returning to his tan face, "it's about time that the Noah re-entered." Lifting a hand to Allen's chin, Mikk blew a gentle breath on his forehead, making the Exorcist wince and flinch away from him. "And we'll start by… hmm; taking your general?"

"Shit…!" Kanda began charging forward, but he was too late (Lol, total cliché line there…). The damn bean sprout was too far from where he was to be able to intervene with the womanizing freak.

The aforementioned freak curled his arms around Allen, who only flinched. Finally, some sense knocked into the white-haired Exorcist as he brought up his arms in front of him, making space between him and Mikk. His left arm suddenly shifted into its weapon form, and the cloak of Innocence shrouded around him.

"I'm not coming with you," Allen repeated.

In the time that Allen had bought, Kanda managed to reach the two, the others closely following. Ichigo and Rukia approached cautiously, for they weren't too sure of what was going on.

With another snap of his fingers, Mikk summoned a few more Hollows. Lavi shifted his weight to his right foot. "Well, it's good to see _someone_ managed to keep their abilities," he commented through gritted teeth. "It's a really awesome ability, you know, to control Hollows like you did Akuma. Damn Noah."

On instinct, Kanda turned to face the Hollows. Baring his teeth, he drew Mugen, but Lenalee lighted down in front of him. "Kanda, help Allen," she commanded. "We'll take care of them."

He nodded in affirmation before returning his gaze on Mikk and Allen. Mikk was attacking with his zanpakuto in frequent barrages; Allen was barely blocking with his left-arm-turned-sword. Gritting his teeth, Kanda planted his feet and tried to find the right time to step in and point his sword at Mikk.

Allen managed to push off Mikk, but only for a few feet. Deeming this the moment he had waited for, Kanda rushed in to clash swords with the Portuguese before Allen could take the hit.

"Kanda…?!" he exclaimed as the elder roughly pushed him aside.

He set his jaw. "Shut up, _baka moyashi_ (stupid bean sprout), or you'll be taken away for testing."

With a thankful smile, Allen rushed in the opposite direction. After overhearing their conversation and watching him go, Tyki pushed Kanda away and rushed after the younger Exorcist. When Kanda attempted to follow, several Hollows barricaded the quickest passage to them.

"Sorry, boy," he drawled, turning to Allen, "but my captain wants you. And what my captain wants," Mikk added with a sly grin, "my captain gets."

A low snarl ripped from Kanda's throat. "_Mikk…_"

Refusing to play the damsel in distress, Allen activated his Innocence and struck Mikk and taking down a few Hollows before the remaining Hollows, under Mikk's order, pinned him to the ground. Silver-blue eyes glared up into cold, amber eyes. The Noah laughed at the Exorcist's futility.

"Now, boy, you're coming with me."

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Muahahaaa. There you have it. :D Forget any author's comments; there are more important things to go to!

KYAAAAAH. ABREACTION AND KISPRODUCTIONS ARE BACK! -squeals- :D Go give them a hearty "welcome back", because they are FREAKIN' AWESOME.

Sora Pwns x3


	5. Chapter 5

Karakura Exorcists (Crappy title, I know; but what else am I supposed to call it?!)

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Summary: About one hundred and fifty years after the death of the Earl, Karakura Town finds a strange set of visitors. D. Gray-man/Bleach xover; IchixRuki and eventual Yullen.

Well. I don't own D. Gray-man, or Bleach. Don't rub it in. _ But I DO own… this piece of LAND! -pulls out mound of dirt- Someday, I hope to build on it! xD Jaykay. (I forgot what that was from… o_O Someone help me, please?)

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Excerpt from a religious text; The History of the Dark Religious Organization, written by Komui Lee, age 54, in the mid-1900's:

_Urahara Kisuke, the shinigami's Head of Research department, 12__th__ Squad captain and the shinigami whom Kanda spoke to, has agreed to keep quiet about our existence. Kisuke has warned us that, should the Thirteen Companies hear of us, they will surely try to eradicate our Order. As such, he has decided to keep contact with us should Soul Society notice our presence. He has also told us that, should the need ever arise, we would meet again in a small town in Japan…_

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Rukia gritted her teeth.

_This isn't good _was an understatement for this kind of situation, she thought bitterly as she started forward.

"Stay here!" she called to Ichigo and the Exorcists as Mikk dragged a struggling Allen through the gate to Soul Society. A hell butterfly descended from the sky and fluttered toward her. "I'll go follow Mikk and Allen! Talk to Urahara-san!"

Lenalee and Ichigo nodded in affirmation as she ran through the gate after the ex-Noah. Kanda sank to his knees and leaned forward onto Mugen, exhaustion taking over him. Slowly, Lavi limped towards where the three were.

"That could have gone better," he said, a weak attempt to lift the mood.

Lenalee pursed her lips, deep in thought. "… Kurosaki-kun," she began, "do you know what will happen to Allen?"

Ichigo shifted his weight, running his fingers through his short hair. "I don't know," he sighed. "I never talked to him—Kurotsuchi, I mean—so I wouldn't know much except the fact that everyone thinks he's a madman. But what I have heard from Ishida about him isn't very good." Feeling the optimism around him quickly decreasing, he added somewhat cheerily, "But let's go see Hat-'n-clogs; if Rukia suggested we go to him, we should. He might be able to let us through to Soul Society."

"Hat-'n-clogs?" Lenalee asked warily. "Is that really his name?"

"Ah; sorry, Lenalee. His name's Urahara Kisuke, the owner of Urahara Shoten, the shinigami supply store that Rukia buys from."

The girl's eyes widened slightly. "Urahara Kisuke…? Komui-nii-san's book mentioned him," she whispered.

Ichigo's eyes widened as well. "So if Komui-sensei's book mentioned him, that means you would've gotten to meet him as well, right?"

Lenalee shook her head. "No. I… died before the chance arose." Shaking her head again to clear her pessimism, she added, "The book told us to go to him if we were ever discovered by the Thirteen Companies, so—"

Suddenly alert, Kanda pushed past the group and glared back at the orange-headed teen. "So? What are we waiting for?" he snapped. "Let's go."

Despite himself, Lavi grinned. "Ehh, Yuu-chan, you must be anxious to get back to Allen-kun. What's wrong?" he teased, nudging the swordsman with a provocative elbow. "Afraid of something?"

"I don't trust that stupid bean sprout with that damn Mikk," Kanda grunted in reply. "He might just end up losing his left arm again."

As they began heading towards Urahara Shoten, Ichigo gave Lenalee a questioning glance. She looked away from his gaze, her already depressed aura sinking another five feet. "In our past lives, the Noah—Tyki Mikk, the one we encountered, specifically—dismembered Allen's Innocence." She shuddered. "Tyki Mikk almost killed Allen, too, by opening a hole in Allen's heart. His Innocence saved him, though."

"What are the Noah?" he pressed, despite Lenalee's dejected looks when they were mentioned. He didn't want to make Lenalee feel bad, but Ichigo felt too far out of the loop to understand anything.

Lavi hung back. Lenalee and Kanda were too tired to stop him, and let him ramble. "The Noah were the relatives of the Millenium Earl. They were human, and could control the Akuma. It should have been apparent that they can control Hollows as well, now, from our last confrontation with them. Each of them has a separate power in addition to controlling Hollows and Akuma—for example, Tyki Mikk has the power to touch only what he wants, with the exception of Innocence and—hopefully—zanpakuto. They're strong," he added quietly. "Kanda, Kuro-chan, Chaojii, and I would have lost our lives to them if it weren't for Allen and the Ark."

Before Ichigo could ask, Lavi continued talking without missing a beat. "The Ark was the mysterious passageway that the Noah and Akuma used to transport between places. We were fighting the Noah in there as it was downloaded to a new Ark and would be deleted after it was completed. But if it weren't for Allen, the Musician, we wouldn't be here. The Noah who lived inside Allen in our past life, the betrayer and Musician, helped Allen control the Ark and bring us back."

"… For some odd reason, that sounds really cliché," Ichigo said disdainfully. "Like something from a novel."

Lavi gave him a look. "Not as cliché as gaining shinigami powers by practically dying because you stabbed yourself with Rukia's zanpakuto," he retorted sarcastically, his voice not amused in the slightest. "Now _that's_ cliché; like something from a freaky, weird, mainstream shounen manga."

The orangehead frowned, but said nothing.

The wary group reached the small shop, where a man in an odd, pinstriped hat and black cloak greeted them as he leaned on a thin, wooden cane and fanned himself lazily. Upon seeing Ichigo, the man grinned.

"Ahh, Kurosaki-kun," he chirped. "Where's Rukia-chan? You usually come with her. And—oh? What's this?" He adjusted his hat slightly to get a better look. His eyes took on a serious glint. "You brought Exorcists, I see. My name is Urahara Kisuke," he introduced absent-mindedly as his eyes scanned the remaining Exorcists.

Lenalee shifted nervously under his scrutinizing gaze.

Trotting over to Kanda, Urahara pointed his cane and jabbed the swordsman in the chest. All were surprised as Kanda's soul separated from his body wearing the original Exorcist uniform.

"What the—" Kanda began, getting up from the floor next to his body. The pressure of the cane against his forehead stopped him.

"I remember you," Urahara grinned, his expression devoid of any motives. "You were the representative from the Black Order. That means the rest of you," he continued, glancing around at the others, "must be from the Black Order, as well, though I only remember seeing you." He pointed at Lavi, whose face turned grim.

The murderous aura between Lavi, Kanda, and Urahara-san lingered for a few moments before the man smiled, considerably brightening the atmosphere.

"Well, what are you here for?"

Lenalee cleared her throat nervously. "We want to know… if you can open the gate to Soul Society."

Urahara-san's eyes widened. He tilted his hat upwards and gave a low whistle. "Wow. I can do that, sure, but it'll take time."

"I see," Lenalee murmured, feeling rather dejected.

A bright grin spread across Urahara-san's face. "Now, now; when did I say that I couldn't do it? For Komui-san's little sister, I'll bump up the speed. A week is the minimum; two is the max. And I'm just curious, but what would a bunch of Exorcists and a Shinigami Substitute require passage to the Soul Society for?"

"Their general—Allen Walker—was captured," Ichigo replied.

Urahara-san tilted his hat again, puzzlement crossing his face. "General Allen Walker? I don't remember a general by that name. I remember General Marian Cross—I had encountered him before; don't give me that look—Cloud Nine, Froi Tiedoll, and Winters Sokalo, but not an Allen Walker. When was he promoted?"

Lenalee gave a weak smile. "He was promoted shortly before his battle with the Earl of Millenium."

"Really, then?" Urahara's face was puzzled. "Then, please enlighten me—what happened to General Walker?"

Lavi and Lenalee exchanged nervous glances. Both were clearly hesitant about telling Urahara-san about Allen. Finally, probably tired of the two's silence, Kanda finally spoke what was troubling their minds.

"The bean sprout died of severe wounds after defeating the Earl of the Millenium."

Ichigo's eyes, wide with shock, snapped to look at the Exorcist in uniform.

"It's true," Lavi affirmed. "In the last battle… while the rest of us were preoccupied with the Noah, Allen took on the Earl headfirst, without anyone—no Exorcists, no generals—assisting him. It was only natural that he'd take on mortal injuries." He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tighter.

A moment of silence hung undisturbed as Kanda slipped back into his body.

"I see," Urahara nodded nonchalantly, as if he had simply received a comment on the weather that day. "At any rate, I will notify the four of you—one, two, three, and four," he counted, pointing at Kanda, Lenalee, Lavi, and Ichigo, "when the portal to the Soul Society has been completed. You are excused," he finished, promptly snapping his fan shut and turning to retreat into his store.

Lavi and Lenalee sighed wearily. Kanda glanced back at Urahara Shoten before he started walking home ahead of the group.

Ichigo gave the remaining two Exorcists another glance before he followed Kanda and started heading home.

The man spun quickly on his heels to turn back to the Exorcists. "Ah, Lenalee," he called cheerfully. The girl turned back to face the shopkeeper. "Tell your brother I will be coming over for dinner. My assistants have all gone on vacation, so Yoruichi and I have nothing to eat."

The girl smiled, despite the worry of her best friend Allen's well-being. Taking a deep breath, she replied, "I will, Urahara-san."

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Hahahaaaa. Umm. Sorry for the lack of updates and that crappy ending for a chapter. I really didn't know how to end it, so bam. There it is.

'Kay. Well, I've been busy-- am still busy-- so don't expect too many updates until Yullen week approaches. Do you guys all know the topics? :O If you don't, ask for them in your review and I'll gladly tell you if you want to write for it :D

All righties. My mom's ready to kick me off the comp, so I'll bid adieu for now xD Later!

Sora Pwns x3


	6. Chapter 6

Karakura Exorcists (Crappy title, I know; but what else am I supposed to call it?!)

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Summary: About one hundred and fifty years after the death of the Earl, Karakura Town finds a strange set of visitors. D. Gray-man/Bleach xover; IchixRuki and eventual Yullen.

Well. I don't own D. Gray-man, or Bleach. Don't rub it in. _ But I DO own… this piece of LAND! -pulls out mound of dirt- Someday, I hope to build on it! xD Jaykay. (I forgot what that was from… o_O Someone help me, please?)

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Chapter 6

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Excerpt from a religious text; The History of the Dark Religious Organization, written by Komui Lee, age 54, in the mid-1900's:

_Kisuke-san has explicitly warned us about being found when he isn't in the Thirteen Squads; however, whenever that is has become indeterminable for us. Nevertheless, it would be wise to lay low for the rest of our time on Earth, for Kisuke-san has warned us that some captains may dissect the Exorcists as they did the Quincy, who were some variation of Exorcists and preoccupied the Soul Society as they waged war…_

_At any rate, it is best to steer clear from the captains in case some would put our Exorcists under horrifying test procedures…_

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His eyelids fluttered open—once, twice, three-four-five… six.

Though still slightly hazy, they took in various equipment; some familiar, like the patient's bed, lighting, and some form of monitor; and some unfamiliar, like that weird laser hanging ominously above the lights. And when he looked down, his appendages were tightly bound to his body with leather cords; his feet clear off the floor.

Allen frowned. He didn't like this. He activated his left arm, feeling the Innocence tear at the leather. Carefully, he maneuvered his index finger to slice apart the cords, freeing him from his binds.

When his feet touched the ground, though, an alarm blared through his ears. Flinching, Allen pressed his palms to his ears and glanced around. He definitely didn't like this. Looking for the nearest exit, he bolted when he saw various figures in black running towards him, swords drawn. A wry grin spread upon his face when Allen realized he was in some variation of Kanda's anger towards Lavi.

Lavi escaped harmless most of the time… right? Allen could escape unharmed… right? He hoped so.

He rounded a corner and found another group of shinigami approaching him. Allen gritted his teeth and planted his feet on the ground; gripped his left hand with his right, and pulled out his sword.

Some of the shinigami in front stopped, effectively ruining both crowds' momentum and sending them toppling.

A lazy voice drifted over the loudspeaker. "Ahh… He's awake? Darn; I thought I had a bit more time. Oh, well."

Tyki Mikk appeared from behind the pile of shinigami to Allen's right. Threading a hand through dark hair, the Noah's crosses displayed clearly to the Exorcist. A slow smirk spread across his face.

"My, my, boy," he drawled. "Why the upset face?"

The sword that Allen had drawn was at his throat. "Where am I?" the Exorcist hissed. "What do you want with me?"

The Portuguese's eyes widened in shock, but then narrowed with a smirk. "Boy, you're a fool. I'm dead; that thing cannot hurt me. In theory, that is."

"Let's test that theory, then," Allen said acidly. "Now where am I?" The sword pressed closer to the Noah's throat.

Tyki laughed. "You're in Soul Society—in my captain's research lab," he answered, putting a hand on the sword to push it away. Startled, he pulled his hand back to find a slight burn. "Oh, my," he muttered.

"So it does affect you," Allen confirmed, pressing the sword closer to Tyki's throat. "What am I doing here, then?"

"I told you—my captain wants you for experimentation." The man smirked. "I'll enjoy seeing you be decapitated bit by bit as my captain takes you apart. Do you know what he did to the Quincy?"

Allen frowned. "The Quincy?"

Amusement spread like wildfire across the Noah's face. "The Quincy were a variation of Exorcists who used spirit particles—reishi, which makes up everything here in Soul Society—to shoot arrows and obliterate Hollows. Unfortunately, they didn't have the cleansing powers of the shinigami and effectively destroyed them completely, banishing the souls of many Hollows to Hell. This was during the time of the Exorcists."

The amusement only tripled as he saw the horror on Allen's face. He continued, eager to see more of that dismal expression. "It was only because the Quincy waged war and refused to stop the mass destruction of Hollows that Soul Society didn't notice you Exorcists and us Noah fighting our own wars. The Quincy's war lasted almost as long as ours; just a little longer. And if it had been any shorter… Well, this would have happened to the mighty Exorcists." He held up a picture of a dissected Quincy.

"But either way," Tyki added with a smirk, "it's going to happen to you soon. Have fun with life."

The Noah watched, amused as the young Exorcist froze in shock and backed away at the sight of the photograph.

"… What of… What of the other Noah…?" Allen managed to choke out, his voice dry from the sight of the body. "Are they still alive?"

Tyki frowned. "Hey, boy; just because _I_ made it to this day doesn't mean the others did. Road got caught and executed as a regular soul, as did Skin Boric. Lulubell and Jasdevi made it to the shinigami level, but were killed during the aftermath of the Quincy's wars. I don't know what happened to the other Noah; just that they're dead."

"You'll be joining them, if I can help it," Allen snarled, recovering from his earlier shock. He lifted his sword.

The Noah seemed unperturbed by the Exorcist's threat. He raised his hand in greeting. "Hey, Kurotsuchi-taichou," he called.

An unseen door opened to reveal Rukia, her face serious and alarmed. "Kurotsuchi-taichou… Allen…!"

That was the last thing Allen heard before he passed out, a tranquilizer dart struck clear into his neck.

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"Kurotsuchi-taichou, please!" Rukia begged. "There's no reason for you to dissect a living soul!"

The black-and-white skinned captain wheeled around to face her. "No reason?" he inquired. "Of course there's a reason—for the sake of science," he cackled. "Now get out of my sight; I need to experiment. Mikk, bring him this way. And get my chainsaw; I want to see what that arm of his does."

"No anesthetic, I suppose?" Mikk asked, a light smirk on his face. He shifted the Exorcist in his arms.

"Of course not, Mikk."

"Kurotsuchi-taichou!" Rukia pleaded.

Kurotsuchi Mayuri, captain of the twelfth squad, gave her a heavy glare. "Get out of my sight, Kuchiki, or so help me, I will dissect you, as well—no matter that your brother will be at my throat."

Gritting her teeth, Rukia reluctantly stepped out of the headquarters. Tyki watched her, an eyebrow cocked in amusement.

"Are you really going to dismember him, captain?" he asked nonchalantly, setting Allen on the surgery-style bed.

"No, no," Kurotsuchi murmured absently. "I still have much to test before I dismember him. I must start with that left arm…"

Tyki smirked, securing Allen to the table.

"Actually, Kurotsuchi-taichou, I have a suggestion for experimenting with that left arm of Allen's…" Leaning into his captain's ear, Tyki whispered his idea.

A wide, crazed smile crossed Kurotsuchi's face.

"Mikk, that's brilliant."

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"Kuchiki?"

Rukia turned to see Hitsugaya-taichou. Managing a weak smile, she greeted him. "Hello, Hitsugaya-taichou. It's rare to see you without Matsumoto-san or a pile of paperwork," she chuckled, despite herself.

"Nevermind that," he brushed aside the topic, "but what of Kurotsuchi's new test subject? What is he?"

Her eyes widened in surprised, but then grew solemn. "… Allen Walker is an Exorcist," she murmured, "whose origins came up during the Quincy wars. He is the most powerful of all the presently reincarnated Exorcists—all of which are currently in Karakura Town." She hoped Ichigo had brought them to Urahara-san.

Hitsugaya let out an exhausted sigh, deepening his grimace. "Why does everything always happen there?"

Rukia shrugged. "But did Genryuusai-taichou really let Kurotsuchi-taichou dissect Allen?" she asked.

"Yeah," he affirmed. "I was against it, as was your brother and a few others, but it can't be helped. So what's that orangehead doing about it?"

A smile crossed her face as she thought of Ichigo. "I don't know," she admitted, "but he's probably with the Exorcists."

She let out a small chuckle. "I wonder if he and Kanda have killed each other yet."

-

Kanda sighed. He didn't like this. He didn't like this at all.

He didn't like the fact that the bean sprout was taken—that in itself was a big no-no. Throw in that Mikk was the one who took him, and Kanda's blood was boiling faster than you could say "moyashi" ten times.

And then there was the fact that he was supposed to sit idly for ten days while that hat-'n-clogs man, as Ichigo called him, prepared entry into Soul Society. It made things even worse to know that the hat-'n-clogs man was sitting _inside his house,_ eating _his food_, and leeching off of _his stuff_ when he could be working.

Having that orangehead around wasn't making things any better, either.

"Ah—Urahara-san, can you pass me the soy sauce?" Ichigo said through a mouthful of food as he reached out with his hand.

"Of course, Kurosaki-kun," he replied cheerfully, tossing him the bottle.

Kanda braced himself, eyes tightly shut, as he heard the bottle of soy sauce break on the dinner table. Slowly, he counted to ten and took deep breaths until he was sure he wouldn't strangle the two. He let out a shaky sigh as Lenalee, Lavi, and Komui rushed over with napkins to hurriedly mop up the mess.

"Ahh, I'm sorry, Komui-san," Urahara chanted carelessly.

Rolling his eyes, Kanda stood up to find a black cat by his feet. Surprised, he lifted his foot to let the cat pass him by.

"Surprised" was a mild term for what hit Kanda when the cat spoke.

"Thanks, boy," the cat said nonchalantly.

Kanda gave the cat a disbelieving look as it hopped up onto the chair that he had been previously occupying and greeted Urahara-san, who, surprisingly, greeted the cat as if it were completely normal.

"Ahh, Yoruichi-san!" he crowed. "We're so glad you could join us!"

Ichigo gave the cat a salute through another mouthful of food. "Yo, Yoruichi-san!"

The Exorcists and Komui exchanged nervous looks as the cat seated itself on the table and pulled up a decent conversation with Urahara and Ichigo.

Kanda strode to his room and looked behind him to see the cat gone from the table. Shrugging, he supposed it must have gone out to dig in the trash or something. He closed the door and turned to find the cat on his bed, gazing curiously into the empty hourglass with the withered petals.

"So, Kanda," the cat drawled lazily. "How set are you on helping retrieve Walker? Because as far as I'm concerned, you don't care much for your comrades." Its amber eyes turned to stare intently at Kanda.

"… Why would you be concerned over such a thing?" he asked coldly. _And you're wrong,_ he wanted to add. _I do care for them… to an extent._ Chuckling lightly, he added to himself, _And it depends on who it is. I don't give a damn about that rabbit, but that bean sprout…_ He shook his head.

Yoruichi—was that what Urahara-san had called the cat?—hopped off the bed and sat in front of Kanda. "I can train you to a shinigami captain level. Your sword, Mugen," she motioned to his Innocence, "is Innocence bonded with a zanpakuto's core; a powerful shinigami's sword that has been lost to Soul Society since the Quincy Wars erupted. I can train you to become a shinigami captain like I did for Ichigo."

"You trained him to that level?" Kanda asked, raising an eyebrow. "How strong is he, really? I've never seen him at his best."

"Still not as strong as his full potential, but that comes with time." The cat yawned and turned to gaze at him. "And yes, I did train him to that level—in three days, even. I can train you, should you desire it, if you have a will strong enough to withstand my training." A smirk crossed the cat's face, stretching its whiskers back as if pulled. "You might not make it out otherwise."

Kanda snorted. "I've got the will."

"Are you sure? Then I will train you. I warn you—it won't be easy."

He smirked.

"Bring it on."

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Well, there you go. xD An update! Hooray!

Sorry about the lack of updates, again; I've been having state testing this past week, and writing hasn't been my distraction. Something else has been my ever-pleasant release from reality, and it's three words-- Korean boy bands. -swoons- I swear-- if you look up T.O.P. from Big Bang and find a picture of him with long hair, he looks EXACTLY how I pictured Kanda to look in real life O_O And Changmin from DBSK.... OH, CHANGMIN -heart-! (is totally in love with Changmin!)

... Yeah. You get my issue, right? Or do I need to elaborate more? T_T

At any rate, I'm trying to fight off the disease I call Korean boy bands as much as I can, but it's really, really hard because they're so _hot_. T_T I'll update whenever I fight them off long enough to think clearly. Please be patient xD;; And thanks for any reviews!

Sora Pwns x3


	7. Chapter 7

Karakura Exorcists (Crappy title, I know; but what else am I supposed to call it?!)

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Summary: About one hundred and fifty years after the death of the Earl, Karakura Town finds a strange set of visitors. D. Gray-man/Bleach xover; IchixRuki and eventual Yullen.

Well. I don't own D. Gray-man, or Bleach. Don't rub it in. _ But I DO own… this piece of LAND! -pulls out mound of dirt- Someday, I hope to build on it! xD Jaykay. (I forgot what that was from… o_O Someone help me, please?)

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Chapter Seven

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Excerpt from a religious text; The History of the Dark Religious Organization, written by Komui Lee, age 54, in the mid-1900's:

_Urahara-san has also informed me that Kanda's Innocence isn't completely Innocence—it's the core of a zanpakuto, of a shinigami's sword bonded with Innocence. It is an amazing phenomenon; he told me so after studying Mugen after I repaired it shortly after a mission Kanda came back from._

_Following these theories, Urahara-san believes it possible for Kanda to attain a shinigami captain's power…_

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"So, Yoruichi," Urahara drawled lazily as the cat ran ahead of Kanda to rejoin those still at the dinner table. "Has Kanda found himself a bankai teacher?"

Yoruichi nodded lazily, jumping onto the table to paw a half-eaten fish. The cat turned it over and nibbled on a piece. Wiping its mouth with a black paw, Yoruichi said, "I'll need to borrow your underground training suite, Urahara."

"Ahh, but of course, Yoruichi. When will you train him?"

"For the next three days, if he doesn't mind missing school," the cat replied easily, leaning down to eat more fish.

Komui shrugged. "I don't personally mind, either, so Kanda, if you want to go train with Yoruichi-san, that's quite alright."

"Aww, but Komui," Lavi crowed as he reproached the table, "why don't we get to train with Yoruichi-san?"

Lenalee gave Lavi a sheepish grin. "Lavi, it's quite hard for people who don't have zanpakuto to reach a bankai level. I think we're better off getting rid of nearby Hollows than coming to practice with Kanda and Yoruichi-san."

Nodding, Yoruichi added, "I think I can find something for you two as well, though it might have to wait until later. The gate's under construction, so Urahara might have you run errands for him instead."

The two glanced at the shopkeeper, who laughed heartily as he fanned himself.

"At any rate, Kanda," Yoruichi continued, "I'll come for you in the morning. We're going to go get Ichigo, too."

"Eh? Why me?" Ichigo intervened.

The cat grinned. "We might need some heavy lifting done around the shop while Kanda's out working."

"I thought that was what we were for!" Lavi cried. Kanda sighed wearily, rubbing his temples in aggravation.

"No, Lavi, you and Lenalee are running errands. We're going to have Ichigo here do all the lifting. Right, Ichigo?"

Ichigo only raised an eyebrow, hesitant to respond. He knew from experience what "heavy lifting" might include.

-

Kanda shut the door behind him and sighed, leaning against the wooden frame. He felt so _helpless._

Allen was gone—kidnapped before his eyes. And there was nothing he could do about it but wait—wait until he was stronger.

A knock resounded against the door. Kanda turned around and all but wrenched the door off of its hinges, ready to snap at the person responsible for interrupting his thoughts until he saw that it was Ichigo.

Sniffing in disdain, the Exorcist muttered, "What do you want?"

Ichigo gazed at Kanda for a while before walking in, unasked and unwelcome. "Nothin'; I just want to talk."

The Exorcist stood, watching the shinigami carefully before sitting down. "… There's nothing to talk about."

Ichigo snorted. "What do you mean, 'nothing'? I've seen your prissy attitude while Allen was here, and now it's completely reversed.

"If you're upset about having Allen taken from you, keep in mind that it could have been worse," he murmured. "At least you were strong; at least you could have taken on Mikk if he hadn't been so cowardly. At least your life wasn't spared because the objective was caught. At least you weren't lying, nearly dead on the floor. Amber eyes gazed up at Kanda, hardened with his own past experiences returning to haunt the shinigami. "You didn't have to live through that."

"… Che. And you did?" Kanda asked warily.

The orangehead glanced away and nodded. "… Yeah. It was back last year, not too long after I'd gotten my shinigami powers. Rukia was wanted because she had illegally given her powers to me so I could save my family… Her brother could have killed me that night, but I was spared." He slammed his fist on the table, startling the Exorcist with the sudden clanging of the hourglass.

"I could have been killed, right there, if Rukia hadn't stopped him. I was a sitting duck, waiting to be butchered, barbecued, and eaten by her brother. Humiliated, because my powers were not strong enough. I _hated_ the feeling of being so weak, so helpless. It was as if everything I had been working towards had suddenly crumbled apart, and my world, my powers were fraying apart at the seams." A mix of hate and spite was in the glare that Ichigo gave Kanda.

"At least you didn't have to live through that, Kanda."

The Exorcist looked away. As much as he hated to say it, Ichigo was right. Kanda hadn't been left in a pitiful, broken state; nor was his life spared because of the bean sprout, though it may appear that way.

After all, Kanda had been the one to defeat Tyki during the war. Kanda was confident in his powers. He could tell that Tyki hadn't become any stronger than he was as a Noah, and he knew for a fact that his sync-rate with Mugen was much higher than it was in his past life. He was definitely stronger.

Maybe that shinigami wasn't so bad.

"So what're your love issues?" Ichigo's voice asked lightly, a contrast from the heavy mood set by it earlier. "Are you, like, gay for Allen or something?"

Kanda shot the shinigami a glare. Or maybe he was wrong—the shinigami was as bad as the stupid rabbit.

A wide, mocking grin spread across the orangehead's face. "Oh… I see. So you're in love with a general. Is that why you want to save him so much?"

"… Shut up, asshole," Kanda snarled, whipping out Mugen.

"Relax, relax!" Ichigo waved his open hands in front of him, attempting to calm the enraged Exorcist. "Sorry; I couldn't resist."

Kanda took a seat next to Ichigo on the bed. "Just don't bring it up again," he grumbled softly.

He was still angry at him—at the bean sprout—for not remembering that day. After all, Kanda could still imagine everything so clearly; see everything so clearly. The light blush dusting Allen's cheeks as he asked to stay the night; the distinctive, decadent scent that was the moyashi in his arms; the way they had spent the night…

Disrupting long, ebony waves of hair, Kanda shook his head abruptly, attempting to replace it with different thoughts. Remembering Yoruichi's comment from earlier that day, he wondered just how strong Ichigo was. Standing up, Kanda grabbed Mugen and opened the door, glaring back at the shinigami.

"Let's go spar," he said to the orangehead's confused look. "I want to see how strong you really are."

-

The next morning found both Ichigo and Kanda sprawled in a heavy sleep across the couches of the living room of the latter's apartment. The couch that Kanda laid on toppled hastily over due to a powerful kick.

"Wake up, Kanda. You, too, Ichigo."

Though he was groggy from the lack of sleep, Kanda was certain he'd never heard that voice before. Blinking away the sleep, he saw a woman's silhouette, with an orange jacket-type top and black leggings adorning thin, muscular legs. Dark purple hair was tucked into a long ponytail, and embraced tan skin.

"Get up, you two, or else you're getting it."

Kanda saw through hazy vision that Ichigo was getting up.

"Sorry, Yoruichi-san," Ichigo apologized, standing up and dusting himself off.

… Yoruichi-san? That cat?

Kanda blinked several times in an attempt to wake up. When his vision cleared, though, a pretty, feminine face was inches from his own. Startled, he backed up as quickly as he could, only to run into the edge of the coffee table, effectively hitting his head. He cursed loudly as the girl laughed.

"You deserved that, Kanda," she chuckled. "Anyway, let's hurry. We don't want to be late on our first day of training, do we?"

Rubbing his it gently, Kanda shook his head. Hastily, he got up and followed the girl and Ichigo out the door.

"You must be surprised," Ichigo grinned back at the Exorcist. "Yoruichi-san's actually a girl, but she transforms into a cat with one heck of a manly voice. Don't ask me how she does it," he added. "I don't know, either."

The cat-girl scoffed. "And your dim brains wouldn't understand it if I told you, either," she chuckled.

Kanda stared pensively at Yoruichi. He was quiet for a moment, before finally saying, "Where are we going?"

"Urahara's training ground," she replied, returning her gaze before her and continuing to walk forward. Kanda noticed that she took powerful strides, and was a trained warrior. He'd like to see her in battle, he thought with an approving nod.

When they reached Urahara Shoten, the cat-girl burst through the doors as if it were her birthright and stormed past the table where Urahara was alone, eating his breakfast.

"We're going to go train," she announced as the group trotted past the lone store manager, not even slowing for a reply.

As Kanda walked past Urahara, the man grabbed his hand and grinned up at the Exorcist.

"I found this," he whispered, setting a book in Kanda's hands, "in the Pope's archives. It should be of great interest to you, I would think."

Kanda nodded weakly before opening the book's hard cover. The pages were old, and let off a horrid stench when the Exorcist turned them. Cobalt-blue eyes widened slightly at the recognized scrawl on the paper. On the first page, in somewhat messy handwriting, were the words "Don't stop walking. Keep moving forward."

A feeling of dread arose in Kanda's stomach. He knew the saying, but he couldn't be sure it was actually… Taking another sigh and letting the thought trail off, he turned a few more pages and began reading.

_I've finally reached the Dark Order, Mana, and things are more different than I could have imagined. I was thought to be an Akuma because of the curse you gave me. I'm not saying that I hate it, of course; but it's just a bit shocking to be attacked by someone that one would consider a comrade. The one who attacked me was a handsome man (and I'm not lying or becoming homosexual—he's a beautiful being) named Kanda._

The Exorcist took a shaky breath before closing the cover. It was Allen's diary. He gave a weak chuckle. Only Allen would do such a girly thing…

Urahara coughed, startling Kanda back to awareness. "You'd better hurry, Kanda-kun," he chuckled lightly, "or else Yoruichi will kill you before you even begin training. I wouldn't put it past her."

"… Thank you," Kanda murmured cautiously, keeping the shop manager in sight for as long as possible before the Exorcist disappeared into the training room.

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UGH. Totally sorry about the hiatus, guys. **EXCUSE ALERT! AVOID NOW! **Well, see, I just went to a week-long camp (It was international, and I caught an Aussie accent... except now, it's like, warped, so it doesn't sound like anything... according to my sister, that is), and before that... well... I have summer tennis every day from 10 to 1, but my sister and I take the bus there. We have to wake up at 7 to get on the bus at 8:15, and get to tennis at 9:30. We stay until 3 because we have to wait for my parents to come home and pick us up on the way. And as another side excuse, my mom stole my monitor for work. Very depressing, really. For her work, she has three monitors running at the same time, and she got tired of just using one at home (she works home some days), so she took the monitor in my room-- the one without internet. She figured, if it doesn't have internet, I must not use it much. Now, I can't write very often 'cause the computer with internet is always monopolized by my siblings. Sorry. Really. I am REALLY SORRY. **EXCUSE OVER. CONTINUE READING.**

At any rate, it was really nice to open up my e-mail account and see reviews like "This is so good! Keep writing!" after my mom stole my monitor. It was also a bit guilt-instirring. After all... I can't write if my family keeps hogging the computer... and taking my monitor... (Sorry, still a bit bitter about that)

On the other hand, I'll try to keep writing as often as I can for you guys :D Since it's summer, I think I can get away with all-nighters on weekends (not weekdays; I have tennis). Hope to update again soon!

Sora Pwns x3


	8. Chapter 8

Karakura Exorcists (Crappy title, I know; but what else am I supposed to call it?!)

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Summary: About one hundred and fifty years after the death of the Earl, Karakura Town finds a strange set of visitors. D. Gray-man/Bleach xover; IchixRuki and eventual Yullen.

Well. I don't own D. Gray-man, or Bleach. Don't rub it in. _ But I DO own… this piece of LAND! -pulls out mound of dirt- Someday, I hope to build on it! xD Jaykay. (I forgot what that was from… o_O Someone help me, please?)

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Chapter Eight

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Excerpt from a religious text; The History of the Dark Religious Organization, written by Komui Lee, age 54, in the mid-1900's:

_After a bit of observation, I have noticed a difference in strength between the shinigami and our Exorcists. After a brief conference with Urahara-san, we discovered that the composition of zanpakuto made a difference—they are made with only a small amount of Innocence and a special kind of core. Zanpakuto's cores are actually a form of compressed souls with much power—usually, these are souls that have been cleansed. This greatly increases the power of the zanpakuto, allowing them two stages of release as opposed to the single release of many Innocences. We are led to believe that these zanpakuto cores are souls of ex-Akuma, and that, had general Allen Walker been alive, he would have been able to see the souls._

_However, since General Walker never mentioned anything about a soul by Mugen, they may have been removed from his sight because either our Exorcists purified the souls or the majority of Innocence in Mugen's composition made the difference._

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Kanda had never thought he'd ever hang with people crazy enough to claim that his sword had a soul.

Sure, it was in the profession of his past life to deal with the supernatural, but to accept something as preposterous as a sword having a consciousness? That was… well… a bit awkward; even he had to admit to that.

"Eh? You don't know? Then how do you release your zanpakuto?" Ichigo asked, blatantly showing curiosity when Kanda told him that he and Yoruichi were crazy for telling him Mugen had a soul.

Creasing his eyebrows in a distinct frown, Kanda tossed his head with an indignant "che". "How am I supposed to know?" he snapped, opening his eyes slightly to frown at the orange-headed teen. "I only thought Mugen was Innocence, not this freaky zanpakuto crap that you're talking about."

Yoruichi sighed before brushing Ichigo aside with a well-aimed kick to the groin. "Be quiet, you," she barked at the moaning shinigami. "And you!" Here, she pointed at Kanda, who flinched slightly at the volume of her voice—not that he would admit it to anyone. "Your Mugen is different from our zanpakuto, though it's not completely different. It may have just been Mugen's composition."

"So you're saying that Yuu-chan's sword is more Innocence-based than core-based?" Lavi interjected, tilting his head slightly.

Ichigo and Yoruichi blinked. When did he get there…?

"Don't call me that!" Kanda snapped, unabashed by his comrade's spontaneous arrival into the training area.

With a small chuckle, Yoruichi regained her composure. "That's pretty much it, Lavi. And shouldn't you be out helping Lenalee?"

The redhead shrugged, leaning back against a rock. "I think she's fine. She got mad at me because I tried helping her with the laundry and accidentally poured in half the bottle of detergent."

"Che. It probably wasn't an accident, stupid rabbit. Knowing you, you just wanted to get out of cleaning."

"Yuu! How could you?! I would never do such a thing!" Lavi cried, latching onto the long-haired teen, who obviously wasn't amused by such a performance.

"Get _off_, you damn rabbit!"

The two shinigami watched in curious pity as the two chased each other around. Lavi, they silently agreed, was enjoying it. It was like a game to the redhead with legs like a rabbit—which was how he got his nickname, the two assumed. Kanda, on the other hand, didn't seem to be enjoying it in the least. The swordsman waved Mugen around recklessly, hacking at where the rabbit was half a second prior.

Yoruichi gave a small sigh, chuckling lightly. She clapped twice in an attempt to stop the two, but when Kanda didn't comply—in fact, he didn't even notice, or so it seemed—the ex-captain was irritated, to say the least.

"Hey, dolt," she snapped. When Kanda didn't show any sign of response, Yoruichi flash-stepped before him and whapped him unceremoniously on the head. "Listen to me when I'm talking to you, idiot," she snarled. Whirling to Lavi, she barked, "You! Go away if you're going to be a nuisance. We've got lots to do, and the clock is ticking."

The redhead gave a little salute before ducking out of the underground training room; the last thing coming from him was a cheerful "Have fun, Yuu!", to which the Exorcist did not react to very well.

"So," Yoruichi sighed, returning to Kanda. "Your Mugen is slightly different from our zanpakuto, but it's still possible for you to reach bankai, the highest level of release. Or so we believe. It's up to you to prove it," she lectured sternly, scrutinizing him in her amber gaze. "What we're going to be doing for the next three days—or more, however long I'll have to Spartan-train you for—takes many shinigami centuries to obtain. Some don't ever have a bankai release. So you're going to have to work hard."

Kanda studied her for a moment before looking away. "Che. As if I didn't know that. Let's just get started."

"All right," Yoruichi shrugged. Pulling out an oddly-shaped mannequin-type… _thing_, she set it

down before Kanda, who had a dumbfounded look on his face. Ichigo, only a few meters away, had an understanding look on his.

With a smirk, the woman introduced the mannequin-thing as a puppet that she called "tenshintai" to materialize the soul of a sword—or in this case, the "core" part of Kanda's Mugen.

"I'm not quite sure that Mugen has enough of a core to materialize a form, but essentially, this is how one obtains bankai," she explained. "You can harmonize and converse with your sword—that's how you initially release. Now, you have to externalize and subjugate. Once you stab Mugen in the tenshintai, its true form will come out—that's the externalization—and you will have to subdue it. For each person, it is different, so I have no idea what to expect—especially for you, Kanda. So be on your guard."

He nodded, saying nothing. After a nod of approval from Yoruichi, Kanda thrust his Mugen into the puppet. He had no idea of what to anticipate when the debris would finally clear, but it didn't matter.

The onslaught of dust and smoke that had erupted when Mugen made contact with the tenshintai finally cleared, and Kanda was face-to-face with the core of his zanpakuto; the sword's soul. Kanda's eyes widened in shock.

It definitely wasn't what anyone had expected at all.

He stood face-to-face with what would have been an exact mirror of himself. Tall, with lightly tanned skin. Long, dark hair. Piercingly cold eyes. The only changes were the slight height difference and their clothing. "Mugen" wore an Exorcist's uniform. It was his image, back in his previous life.

"Che," Mugen/Kanda scoffed, obviously amused by his mirror/reincarnation's stupefied expression. "What's with you?"

Kanda blinked, quickly recovering his composure. "Nothing," he snapped. The two stared pensively at each other, neither saying a word.

Yoruichi and Ichigo exchanged nervous glances when Mugen spoke.

"So you want to be stronger?"

The two glanced at Kanda, whose expression was confident and unwavering. "Che. Of course. I have to go save that stupid bean sprout."

The grimace on Mugen's face only deepened, which startled Kanda. "The bean sprout? _You_ want to save the bean sprout?" Mugen gave a quick scan over Kanda's physical state. "Che. As if you're ever going to be able to do it like _that_."

Kanda's eyebrows twitched in anger. "What the hell do you mean?"

Yoruichi coughed obnoxiously to get the two's attention. "Excuse me… Mugen, could you, uh, perhaps, explain to Kanda how he could take control of all of your power? You know, before you kill each other?"

"Che," Mugen scoffed. "Fine." With a quick snap, there were illusions of Akuma everywhere in the underground training center. He glared at Kanda. "If you can kill more of these Akuma than I can in a half-hour, then I'll unlock all of my power for you… without the price of your life, as it normally would have. I'm assuming you haven't used the third illusion since the battle with Skin Boric?"

"Not often," Kanda confirmed, brushing aside the curious looks from the ignorant.

Mugen nodded in affirmation. "Activating me, as well as the first and second illusions, are your first release. Anything past the second illusion is part of your bankai release. Any of the higher illusions will continue to inflict damage on your life, not to mention perform at a very low level, until you complete my test and achieve bankai."

Kanda clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Whatever," he said nonchalantly, his eyes burning with resolve. "Let's just get started."

Two identical, Mugen-like swords appeared in the soul's hands. He handed one to his mirror image, who accepted it hesitantly.

Mugen nodded to Kanda, the two's silent call to start.

-

"Yuu-chan!" Lavi cried happily, jumping the rest of the way down into the training room. The redhead waltzed into the middle of the battlefield, his eyes joyfully closed and therefore completely missing all of the completely-lethal-yet-not-real-Akuma. He twirled twice before pirouette-ing and calling, "I missed yo—!"

The unfinished word hung in the air as silence broke out. The two, practically identical teens turned away from their slaughtered Akuma at the same time to glare at the rabbit, as did Ichigo and Yoruichi from their makeshift fort a few meters away.

"Don't call me that, you stupid rabbit!" the two teens snapped instantly, a conditioned response.

Confused, the redhead glanced back and forth between the two Yuu-kuns. He knew instantly which one was the real one—he was shorter only by a minute difference and had slightly shorter hair by at least three millimeters. Only Lavi's bookman instinct had made him notice something as insignificant as that. There was just one question: who was the Yuu who was exactly like the one from his past life?

"Someone get the idiot out of here," Yoruichi sighed. "His face of utter confusion is getting on my nerves."

Lavi carefully observed the swords as best as he could from this distance as he easily slipped from Ichigo's grasp time after time. Those swords definitely weren't Mugen, he decided, so what happened to Yuu-kun's wifey?

"Ah!" the bookman smiled, an epiphany dawning on him. Ichigo stopped once he saw the redhead do so, and stared, curious. Pointing at the taller and longer-haired Kanda, Lavi asked, "Are you Mugen, perhaps?"

"No, I'm Britney Spears with hair dyed dark blue," Mugen spat. "Yes, I'm Mugen. What do you want here, damn rabbit?"

Aghast, Lavi pretended to hug himself. "Goodness! He even has your potty mouth, Yuu-kun," Bookman Jr. gasped, ignoring Kanda's reflex.

"… Che. Just get out of here," Kanda and Mugen said finally. "We're in the middle of something."

"Fine," Lavi pouted. "You guys are no fun."

As he left, Lavi already had theories formulated about why Mugen was an exact copy of Kanda from way back when. It had to do with a certain incident that made Kanda inhuman by just the slightest.

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AGHH. THE GUILLLTTTTT. -cries with shame-

I'm so, so, _so_ sorry that I haven't been updating... In between the last update and this, I've just been overwhelmed with everything _ I'm freaking fresh meat (translation: freshman) in my school, on the Varsity tennis team, coming home at like, 6:30 every day and some days, at 9 P.M. 'cause of music and tennis and CRAP, working hard to get ready for freaking CIF, working my butt off to keep up with freaking algebra two/trig homework that NEVER SEEMS TO STOP COMING AND SUCKING THE LIFE OUTTA ME, freaking interactive pages for history that ALSO suck the living daylight out of me, and stupid Vietnamese school that my parents won't let me quit that continues to extract good light from my day, and that freaking Silver Award that I have to plan for Girl Scouts, getting ready to that freaking Gold Award that my dad wants me to have finished before Junior year, and OH, MY FREAKING GOD, am I overwhelmed. So there's my excuse. T.T

Anyway, I've been checking my e-mail faithfully (well, I kind of have to for Scouts...) and alerts and reviews have been coming in a steady stream of like, three a day T.T I'm so sorry... the guilt was riding on me... I've had this chapter done and sitting in the attic for who-knew-how-long and finally dug it up during the week. Thank you guys for hanging onto this story so much... you guys are so awesome T T And I'm so sorry this chapter is so crappy... the first one in forever and it sucks like hell.


	9. Chapter 9

It's been eight chapters. Really. I don't own either Bleach or D. Gray-man... unless you're willing to give them to me. :D

Chapter Nine

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Excerpt from a religious text; The History of the Dark Religious Organization, written by Komui Lee, age 54, in the mid-1900's:

_Yuu Kanda is, in fact, not a complete human. As a child who just joined the Order, he was a full human, but demanded more power. What that power would be used for, we didn't quite know. The higher-ups decided that they agreed with Kanda—they needed more power from the Exorcists. As a result, they took a fragment of Kanda's Innocence—a part of his Mugen—and branded his chest with a curse. The fact that it began to eat away at his life was the effect of a mutation…_

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"Che. So you're telling me that because I'm not human, my sword is an exact copy of me?" Kanda demanded. He, Lavi, Komui, Ichigo, Lenalee, and Yoruichi were having dinner at Urahara's shop.

Lavi, his fake grin replaced with a serious face, nodded. "If Mugen is a part of you, wouldn't it then be logical for it you to be a part of it? The core that it used could have been made from the life that it drew out of you."

Kanda scoffed. "Then in that case," he grunted, "wouldn't my sync rate be higher than what it is?"

The bookman shrugged. "It should. But what should happen doesn't always. Probability isn't the law."

"That's true," Komui agreed. "It might have also been the curse on your chest, or the lotus in the hourglass. It was the Order's first time; dealing with something such as a request to infuse Innocence into a human body. The fact that your sync rate isn't at the highest peak and that your Mugen was slowly stealing your life was probably a result of the unmonitored mutation of the operation… that is to say, the lotus that we created alongside the curse mark to inject the Innocence into your body."

"That's quite possible," Urahara said, seating himself next to Komui after moving from the table. "The lotus could have been a way to channel the life from your body. It accelerated the healing processes of your body in exchange for bits of your life, which was traded for strength in the form of Innocence."

Kanda slammed his fist onto the floor. "What difference does this make?" he asked angrily, sounding impatient. Lavi grinned.

"Aww, Yuu," he crooned, dodging an assault from his friend. "It's all right if you don't understand; just ask your best friend Lavi; he'll explain it to you!"

"Like hell I would!" the swordsman snarled.

Lenalee walked in, carrying a tray with coffee-filled mugs. "Don't wreck the store, Kanda. People need it," she warned, her voice threatening enough to make him flinch. To Komui and Urahara, she asked sweetly, "Would you guys like some coffee?"

"So wait—let me get this straight." Heads turned to look at Ichigo, who continued. "Kanda's not 100% human."

"_Was_ not human," Urahara interjected.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Whatever. He had a fragment of his Innocence inside his body, which channeled his reiatsu into Mugen through the lotus in the hourglass. The initial core was from the same operation—a piece of Innocence into his body for a piece of his reiatsu into Mugen. Right?"

"Yep," Komui chirped, sipping his coffee. "Equivalent exchange—the basics of alchemy."

"So how was his death connected to the flower, nii-san?" Lenalee asked. "You recorded that it was completely withered away when Kanda was announced dead."

Kanda raised an eyebrow and shifted in his seat. He had been curious about this, as well—though he wouldn't admit it.

After taking another sip, the Chinese scientist replied, "What I think is that the lotus represented the amount of reiatsu Mugen required from Kanda to create a sufficient core for a zanpakuto's characteristics. A meter, if you will. The full lotus meant that it needed a lot more of his energy to create a core. As the energy was being transferred, the petals withered away, meaning that there was less energy needed."

"Then, in that case, the rest of Kanda's life was needed to create a core," Yoruichi finished.

Urahara nodded. "That makes sense. Most cores are created from souls that are already dead; in that case, the whole soul could be consumed for the core, making the zanpakuto powerful. The reason why Mugen wasn't as powerful as it could have been in your past life, Kanda, was probably because it didn't have a sufficient enough core."

"But if it was consuming my life, then how was I able to heal so quickly?" Kanda asked.

"Like I said: equivalent exchange," Komui repeated. "In exchange for stealing your life, the fragment of Innocence inside you healed you. It would have been a very unfair and law-defying trade if it hadn't."

Lenalee sat down. "So the reason why Mugen is a mirror image of Kanda is because the operation and the lotus transferred his life into Mugen, creating a zanpakuto core strong enough to create a zanpakuto's characteristics. In return for his life, Mugen healed his body… right, nii-san?"

"Yes; that's a brilliant summary, my sweet Lenalee! You're so smart, and—"

Embarrassed by her brother's doting actions, Lenalee escaped to her room.

Kanda finally stood and headed back to the entrance to the training room.

"Ah! Yuu, where are you going?"

He didn't even bother responding to his nickname. The only thing on Kanda's mind was to defeat Mugen and get stronger.

Yoruichi didn't bother to stand up. "You know, the _tenshintai_ won't work unless I'm there to channel my reiatsu through it. And we're done for the day, so don't count on me to come and baby-sit you."

The swordsman froze, halfway through. "Che. Fine, then; I'll go outside."

"And fight some Hollows? Can I come, too, Yuu?"

"No!"

-

In reality, Kanda hadn't left to fight Hollows—though he would, if the chance presented itself. He'd been having a hard time locating them since the bean sprout disappeared. Instead, he walked along the streets of the town until he reached the park, which was surprisingly well-lit, though it was nighttime.

The little park was filled with little-kid structures that the swordsman was sure Allen would like, including a swing set, a jungle gym, and a slide. The lighting here was bright enough to read—just what he needed… but there was nothing he could sit on that wouldn't make him look like an idiot. With a sigh, Kanda settled for a seat on the swings, grimacing as he heard the chains clink. It reminded him of Skin Boric, and made his blood boil. Unconsciously, his hand rested on the handle of his Mugen.

Kanda pulled out the small, leather-bound diary that Urahara had given him, and quickly flipped through the pages. Little phrases caught his eye, though he didn't stop to read the piece in context.

He kept skimming. The words "I think I'm in love with Lenalee" appeared several times, but after a while, the phrase disappeared altogether, replaced by another one that made Kanda snort. _I think I'm in love with that bastard BaKanda._

"Che. Is that how you talk about someone you're in love with…?" he grunted, but couldn't help but let a smile onto his face.

Interested, he continued to read up and down the page, as well as the ones before and after it. He saw no other mention of his name in the old pages, and refrained from letting himself feel disappointed.

"Damn, bean sprout," he said to no one in particular as he read the pages. The topics of what Allen wrote about switched abruptly; almost without warning. In one paragraph, the Exorcist wrote about his daily training; the next was about what he did with Lavi in the library, followed by an enticing account of his lunch.

Frustrated by the boy's inability to guide into the next subject, Kanda closed the journal with an audible slap before getting off the swing. As he left, he gave the park one last look, and could almost see the stupid bean sprout flipping around on the jungle gym like the little clown he was.

-

-

-

YES. FINALLY, I HAVE TIME. -breathes a sigh of relief-

Well, here we go. I actually wrote this (the journal/diary thing) as a little filler for those of you who were crying for Allen 'cause well.. I missed him and wanted a little bit of Yullen right here lols. I want my Yullen, too T.T The entry's going to be the excerpt for the next chapter (which I'm almost done with... I just have to edit it.)

And yes! Allen will be coming back in like, two chapters, so hang tight!

Sora Pwns x3


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

-

-

-

Excerpt from the diary of Allen Walker (as mentioned in the last chapter):

_Dear Mana,_

_Today, I worked really hard as I trained. I think I'm getting a lot stronger. It would be nice if I am; that way I could save more souls than I have already. It would be great. That way, I could…_

_In the library today, Lavi and I had to re-shelf books because he got caught playing a prank on Johnny, and I was with him—even though I was only training. In the end, I had to shelve and endless amount of books… it just didn't seem like it'd ever end!_

… _You know, Mana? I think this next sentence means I'm defying His rules. I think I'm in love with that bastard BaKanda._

_Lunch today was really great. Jerry-san…_

-

-

-

"Aaah! Kanda-kun, you're back!" Urahara welcomed the stiff teen with a hug, though it was obvious that he would rather have been anywhere else than there.

"Che. Let's just train."

Yoruichi raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Well! Someone's eager."

Kanda appraised her with a slight frown, but said nothing.

Mugen snorted, a smirk on his face, as the_ tenshintai_ took his form. "Do you like getting beaten?"

"Che," Kanda spat. "As if I'm going to lose to _you_."

-

"Yoruichi-san."

The shinigami didn't turn her head, despite her ex-disciple's call. Despite that, Ichigo continued.

"What should we do now? Rukia called me a few minutes ago… it seems as if she's been banned from captain Kurotsuchi's labs completely."

Yoruichi's eyes didn't leave the battlefield, but she inclined her body in Ichigo's direction. "Tell Rukia that we'll be there as soon as we can. It's almost a half hour and Kanda's only behind by one or two Akuma."

Below, the two identical figures sliced apart the images of the Akuma, never hesitating once in their massacre. Slowly, Kanda crept closer to Mugen and, in a split second, kicked his mirror image aside and sliced apart five illusions in a single swipe.

Suddenly, the images dissipated. Mugen got up from the ground, clicking his tongue in annoyance.

"Che. So you actually beat me," he grimaced. "Looks like I'll have to lend you my power… che… what a pain," Mugen muttered as he disappeared.

Kanda exhaled softly, relieved.

"Oh? Did Yuu beat Mugen?"

"It's about time, Kanda-kun!"

The Exorcist closed his eyes and slowly counted to ten. When he finally turned around, the rabbit and the manager were standing side-by-side, arms linked like the two idiots they were. It was all Kanda could do to keep from barfing.

"What do you want?" he half-snarled.

Urahara snapped his fan open, indignantly waving it at Kanda. "Well! I thought it would be a good time to check up on you; maybe push you a little if you weren't making any progress. But that's a little harsh, don't you think, Kanda-kun?"

Kanda rolled his eyes.

"At any rate," the shopkeeper continued nonchalantly as he turned away from the Exorcist, "the gate is finished." The two eyes slid to measure Kanda's expression.

He blinked. "Then what are we waiting for?" he snapped.

"But Yuu-chan, we have to get ready, too!" Lavi grinned, pulling a thumbs-up as he twirled his hammer.

Kanda tried not to gag.

Lenalee lighted down, her Dark Boots glowing lightly. "Lavi's right, Kanda," she said, trying to sound sensible. "We have to prepare a few more things before we leave."

"… Che." Kanda whipped his head to the side. "This had better be short."

-

Kanda sat, one leg crossed over the other, his chin propped up on his hand—the same position he'd sat in for the past three hours. He glared anyone and everyone who passed by him in disdain as they continually brought more things to bring to the Soul Society. He couldn't see much in the dead of the night, but he saw a variety of figures bringing various things to the pile accumulating by the gate.

… all of whom was actually only Lavi.

"Ohh, Yuu-chan! We should bring these sofas! And these laptops! Oh! And these excellent novels!" The Bookman Jr. dumped a pile of Charles Dickens books at Kanda's feet, who simply glared.

Lenalee came up behind Lavi, placing a patient hand on his shoulder. "Lavi, I really don't think we need that much," she said honestly.

Mugen walked up to them as well and sat down next to Kanda, who almost smiled when Lavi began to shove the largely accumulated pile of junk to the side. Yoruichi, on Lavi's persistent request, had allowed the use of the tenshintai for his personal enjoyment. Consequently, Lavi had pestered Mugen instead of his mirror image.

"I don't know how you live with that damn rabbit," Mugen hissed, twitching his fingers with the urge to strangle Lavi.

Kanda sighed. "I don't."

A clapping sound brought the two to attention. Mugen became a sword again, which Kanda took as Urahara spoke.

"Now, now; I've spoken with Soul Society to reach some peaceful agreements about this particular invasion. Ichigo is to be your guide and shinigami representative; however, he is under orders to not fight in your favor, should one break out. I can't guarantee he might do so anyway, but that's beside the point."

Ichigo coughed.

"Rukia will meet with you all, but we don't know what Allen's condition has been like as of late due to Kurotsuchi's paranoia. For all we know, he could be dead." Lenalee shuddered. "But good luck!" the manager piped cheerfully, a contrast to his serious tone.

The gate fizzed to life. Ichigo stepped in front of it and grinned at the rest of the party. "You guys ready?"

Kanda strode past the shinigami, snorting lightly, and waited for the orangehead to enter before following. Lenalee and Lavi followed closely behind.

The bright sunlight blinded the group temporarily, but Ichigo saw Rukia before the rest of them did.

"Yo, Rukia!" he grinned.

The girl turned and gave the same, cocky grin. "What took you so long, Ichigo?"

As Ichigo opened his mouth to respond, Kanda cut in. "Can we save this lover's talk for later?" he hissed.

Ichigo blinked. "Yeesh, Kanda; what's your problem?"

Kanda rolled his eyes. "Rukia, where's the bean sprout?"

The violet eyes narrowed slightly. She pointed to the east; to a towering building covered by a distinct barrier. "The barrier's too strong for me alone to break, but with you, Ichigo, Lavi, and Lenalee, it should be a piece of cake at the worst."

The Exorcists were long gone before she had finished.

Lenalee was the first to get there, being the one with the fastest mode of transportation. Kanda, though furious, was last of the Exorcists; closely followed by Rukia and Ichigo. Kanda motioned to the barrier.

"How do we break it?"

"You don't," a suave voice crooned.

Kanda didn't have to look to know who that was. "Mikk," he snarled, turning to face him. Another figure waited in the shadows, but he couldn't quite make out who it was. "What the hell do you want?"

The Portuguese man gave his crooked smile. "Oh, nothing important, Kanda. I have something of yours that I simply must return."

The figure stepped into the sun, revealing silver hair and soulless silver-blue eyes. Lenalee gasped; Lavi simply stared.

Kanda froze.

Allen stumbled to the edge of the barrier as if he had no energy. He fell straight through the opening in the barrier that Tyki made, but Kanda caught him before he hit the ground. The barrier dissipated.

"Now, if you'll excuse me…" Tyki began.

"What the hell did you do to the bean sprout?" Kanda demanded.

Tyki smirked, knowing he'd sparked a flame. "Oh, nothing," he said nonchalantly. "Just a few experiments; that's all." With a flourish, he disappeared.

"What's up with him?" Lavi asked disdainfully. Lenalee, meeting his eye, shrugged.

"… Does that mean we taught him bankai for nothing?" Ichigo asked of Rukia, who shrugged as well.

Kanda hoisted Allen into his arms, bridal-style. He glared at Rukia and Ichigo, who flinched at the sudden murderous aura.

"Let's go home. I need to take this stupid bean sprout back."

-

Kanda sat, leaning against the wall, in the middle of his book when Lavi walked in.

"Allen-chi's not awake yet?" Lavi pouted.

He turned a page. "No."

Lavi frowned. "Aren't you worried, Yuu-chan? It's been a week since we've come back from the Soul Society, and Allen still hasn't woken up—not _once_. His stomach hasn't growled, either!"

With a sigh, Kanda snapped his book shut and glared at Lavi. The rabbit's hair stood on end at the sheer murderous aura his comrade had and deemed it the best time to slip out of the room.

Waiting until the door slammed shut, Kanda turned to the sleeping figure. The pale face was marred with various scratches and scars that hadn't been there before. Kanda assumed his body was also injured, too, but he had no intention of checking at the moment. In a gesture more gentle than he had ever imagined himself doing, Kanda brushed away some of the stray strands on his face.

"You'd better wake up soon, brat. People are waiting for you."

Something whooshed by his eyes; a flash of white. Kanda blinked, realizing that it was part of Allen's Innocence, acting on its own.

The Clown Belt attached itself to the ceiling and pulled Allen's unconscious body upright until it dangled off of the bed.

"Oy… oy, bean sprout!" Kanda shouted. "Get a grip, bean sprout!"

Allen's head lulled to the left, his eyes blinking rapidly yet unseeingly. His left had activated into its claw, the Crown Clown's cloak settling upon his shoulders. The hood covered his face, though, and the mask smiled.

In a voice that wasn't Allen's, it said, "This is my body."

-

-

-

Well, he's back. :D But there's something wrong...

Anyway, we're nearing the end... T.T Thanks for your support, guys, and sorry if they seem OOC... I haven't been catching up on my Yullen... xD

Sora Pwns x3


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Excerpt from the notes of Captain Kurotsuchi on subject Allen Walker:

_Following the capture of the specimen, Mikk and I have planned a substantial amount of experiments, many of which I have already elaborated on. The last will consist of the strengthening of his "Innocence", the substance of which his deformed left arm is consisted of, according to Mikk. My assistant has already told me of the consequences that may arise from this, which is why we delayed this experiment to be the very last._

_I have been told that, in enhancing the Innocence by the amount that I will, the specimen's conscience will be overcome by the Innocence._

-

-

-

Lavi was the first to burst through the door, ready for action. Lenalee was right on his heels.

"Allen?!" Lenalee gasped, her eyes wide with fear. "Allen…!"

Kanda clicked his tongue, annoyed. Obviously, he wanted to knock out the bean sprout; on the other hand, he didn't want to injure him.

With Allen's arm, Crown Clown swept aside the three Exorcists, pressing them against the wall.

… On the other hand, it'd be nice to have a little payback, Kanda decided.

He pushed the arm away from him just enough to slip under. Kanda sidestepped quickly about the bean sprout to the point where he was directly behind. As Crown Clown turned around, finally noticing Kanda's presence, the Exorcist delivered a swift chop to the bean sprout's neck.

Kanda caught him before he hit the ground, but almost dropped it when Allen's mouth, showing from under the mask, turned up in a sadistic grin. Before he knew it, he was forced a good five feet above the ground to the wall by Allen's hand.

Kanda saw Lenalee and Lavi recovering their breath. Lavi was up first and helped Lenalee up as well. The two exchanged ideas briefly.

"Kanda!" Lenalee called as Lavi ran out. "We're leaving Allen up to you! We're going to get Ichigo!"

"Che," Kanda grunted, his hands trying to keep Allen's from crushing his chest. That was the closest to an affirmation they'd get. "Oy, bean sprout! What the fuck do you think you're doing, you old man?!"

He didn't think insulting the kid would do anything; honestly. What was he thinking? The bean sprout was totally out of it.

So of course Kanda was surprised when the teen's left hand came to his face, pressing against his forehead. The grip on Kanda slowly released, and it was apparent that Allen was starting to come back.

"Damn… it… who's a bean sprout, BaKanda?!" he demanded, trying to push up Crown Clown's mask.

Smirking, he realized that taunting the brat kindled a burning need to retort. "You are, you stupid bean sprout."

With more force, Allen cried, "What?!"

"You heard me," Kanda taunted, his smirk growing wider by the second. "I'll say it in Japanese now. _Mo-ya-shi_."

"What did you call me, damn BaKanda?!" Allen snapped, his voice strong. He practically threw off the mask. Suddenly, Allen stumbled around awkwardly. Clutching his head, he slumped against the wall, teetering dangerously on his feet.

"Oy… oy! Bean sprout!" Kanda caught him before he hit the ground. "Che. What's up with you, damn bean?" he asked disdainfully.

As Kanda lifted him in his arms again, he grumbled, "You're making me worried."

-

"Nii-san, what's wrong with Allen?" Lenalee demanded for the third time.

Allen had woken up a half hour ago and was currently devouring everything that the Exorcists had in their fridge. Lavi chattered on and on about what had occurred during his disappearance while Kanda simply glared past the two, trying to burn a hole in the wall with his stare. Urahara, Yoruichi, Ichigo, and Rukia had visited as well; the first two simply lounging around while the other two sat together.

"I'm not quite sure, Lenalee," Komui admitted sheepishly.

"It's actually quite simple," Urahara said from across the table. "I believe that Allen is a Vaizard, much like you, Ichigo."

The orange-head frowned. "What's with people being like me lately?"

"I think that, in this case, Allen's Innocence has been corrupted somehow. Maybe Hollow traits were infused into it?" Urahara mused aloud. "Ah, well. Whatever the case, you'll have to do battle with your Innocence." (**A/N: SO sorry that it's kinda like the Bleach manga… D:)**

"Are you sure?" Ichigo asked. "It takes a while…"

Rukia rolled her eyes playfully, leaning on his shoulder. "That's only because you're an idiot, Ichigo. No one else took as long as you did."

Allen stared. "So…? What do I do?"

Ichigo smirked, a chance for him to deal the hell he'd been given.

Suddenly, Allen wanted to take back the question.

-

"Hey, BaKanda; what's the time?"

Kanda ignored Allen's call, though he'd been sitting in the same spot for the last twelve hours or so. They were the only ones at home since Ichigo, Rukia, and the other Exorcists went to school.

"… Oy. BaKanda."

Kanda turned a page. He personally didn't care for school today when there were more pressing matters to be cared for.

"Damn it, BaKanda! Answer me!"

Like this stupid kid.

"Five minutes 'till six," Kanda answered smoothly, snapping his book shut. "You've been on the treadmill for almost three days straight."

Allen sighed. "Is this really necessary?" he asked as Ichigo, Rukia, and Orihime strode in. He hadn't stopped, even while talking to Kanda. "I'm starving. I haven't had anything to eat since—"

"You know," he said to Rukia, fingers intertwining with hers, "I didn't think he'd actually do the three days without asking why first."

Rukia shrugged. "Maybe he's just an idiot."

"That shitty Hiyori walker's supposed to determine how we'll teach you this. If you couldn't do the three days straight, I wouldn't have let you go on. This piece of shit—" the Exorcists noticed the grimace that went along with the derogatory word—"takes your spirit energy when you touch it, so if you can do the three days straight, you've got a good idea of how to channel your spirit energy—and you have a lot of it." He heard Allen's stomach growl obnoxiously. "You know you can get off, right?"

The Exorcist pounced on the food that Orihime brought in, who was delighted to see that she and Rangiku weren't the only ones who thought chocolate on spaghetti tasted good.

"So what now?" Allen asked through bowlfuls of food.

Rukia smirked, nudging her boyfriend. "Yeah, Ichigo… what now?"

Ichigo paused for a moment, thinking back to his training days, which were essentially broken down into:

1) training on the shitty Hiyori walker

2) getting thrown into a battle with his hollow form

… which honestly didn't help Allen at the moment.

So what should he have Allen do now? Ichigo turned his back to Allen to ponder, rubbing his chin in serious thought.

Allen dropped his bowl.

"Allen-kun…?" Orihime asked slowly.

"Oy… oy, bean sprout! What're you—?"

Rukia's voice joined in the alarm. "Allen…!"

Ichigo turned around to see Allen being overcome by his Innocence. As the other three told him to fight it, he decided that now was a good a time as ever.

Feeling haunted by memories, Ichigo said gravely, "Don't let it eat you; consume it instead… 'cause if you get eaten, it's over."

Allen barely heard those words, but for some odd reason, Kanda's voice, raised in alarm and urgency, was incredibly clear.

"You'd better win, you damn bean sprout, or I'll never forgive you."

-

Something fizzed in front of Allen's eyes; like a bad television reception. Suddenly, it flickered into definition.

He was standing in front of the Dark Order Headquarters.

He held up his hand, smiling as a little golden orb settled on it. "Timcanpy! Where have you been?"

A voice that wasn't his responded, "With me."

Allen looked up. His eyes widened, registering the identity of the figure before him. His memories weren't complete, but Allen remembered this. There was no way that he could forget this face.

"That… that can't be. I killed you," Allen croaked. "I killed you almost two hundred years ago, with the Earl. You're dead."

The Fourteenth cracked a crooked grin. "And yet, I am here."

-

-

-

Woohoo! Most of you already guessed it, but the Fourteenth's back! I played with the idea for a bit before decided what he'll be like, since he hasn't come up. And I'm quite satisfied with my Fourteenth.

And let me say that, gosh, I've been so unmotivated lately... I read the first good Yullen fanfic in a really long time and suddenly motivated me... which means you can expect the last (and final, I think) chapter in about... a few days :D

Make sure you review, guys; I'm never sure if you're just joshin' with me when you add me onto your alert/favorites list and don't review D: Criticism is greatly appreciated!


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Excerpt from a religious text; The History of the Dark Religious Organization, written by Komui Lee, age 54, in the mid-1900's:

_General Allen Walker will go down in history as the great savior, for he not only cleansed the world of the Earl of the Millenium, but also of the fourteen Noahs._

_He himself carried the legacy of the Fourteenth, who lived on only to see the death of the Earl. The Fourteenth died the moment the Earl was killed; the moment that General Walker sacrificed his own life to his duty…_

-

-

-

On Urahara's orders (who came in as Allen passed out), they took the white-haired Exorcist down to his training rooms and sealed off his limbs with a spell. Ichigo warned Rukia, Kanda, Lenalee, Lavi, and Orihime to be on their guard.

Crown Clown/Allen's first attack hit Ichigo, slicing open his arm.

"Ichigo!" "Kurosaki-kun!" Rukia and Orihime both cried out at the same time as he fell to his knees, clutching his arm.

"Che," Kanda snorted. "Good for nothing, red-head."

The shinigami representative's head snapped up, irritated. "What the hell did you just call me, bastard?!"

"Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime wailed, immediately applying her time-reversing skills to his arm. "Are you okay?"

He grinned reassuringly at her. "Yeah, I'm fine, Inoue. Thanks."

As he stood to separate into his shinigami form, Rukia pulled him aside. "What was that overly-friendly smile you just gave her?"

Crown Clown/Allen struck out, this time at Kanda. The Exorcist was ready, though, and parried the attack.

"Che. Get out of the way if you're not going to do anything," he snorted. "Don't stick around and have a lovers' quarrel."

Rukia grabbed Orihime's wrist and led her out the door. "It's better if we go," Rukia said, more to herself than to Orihime.

"Can't we do something?" Orihime pleaded, stopping at the doorway.

Sighing, Rukia made herself smile. "We'll just get in the way," she said. "Allen has to fight this out."

-

"You're an illusion," Allen stammered. "I killed you."

"And yet, I'm here," the Fourteenth repeated calmly. He, with his white hair, his silver-blue eyes… he was an older mirror of Allen himself.

And that was what scared Allen the most.

Why his hair suddenly turned white; why his eyes changed color… when he was young, ideas circulated through his thoughts. After he saw the Fourteenth, he began having nightmares about it. Was he really the Fourteenth? Would he have any control over him? He thought he did… until now.

"But you know," the Fourteenth said sheepishly, "I don't really want to fight."

Allen stared.

"You… you _what_?" he asked finally.

"I don't want to fight," the Fourteenth stated simply. Timcanpy landed on his head as well, a sign that he was to be trusted.

Still…

"You're telling me I ran on that piece of crap for _three days straight_ to prepare for a battle I'm not even going to fight?" Allen asked finally.

The Fourteenth shrugged. "Well, you're not going to fight with me. I'm just a part of your psyche. I've had a neighbor who, as of late, has been bothering me. He moved in just recently."

Allen stared. The Fourteenth was… oddly agreeable. Allen remembered him as being stubborn and murder-hungry. Or maybe that was just because the Earl, whom he hated, was so close to him and ready for the killing.

"I do think he's a foreign invader," the Fourteenth continued, conjuring a piano out of nowhere. "It might be that shinigami's fault; the one who kidnapped you."

Allen snapped back into reality. "You mean Mikk?"

The Fourteenth shook his head. "No, no; the other one. The creepy scientist who kept bossing Mikk around. Kurotsuchi, I believe his name was. An odd fellow, that one. He should see a therapist."

"Where's your… your neighbor?"

A smile bloomed on the face so similar to Allen's. "Ah! You're going to get rid of him? Thank you, old chap; he's right over there." The Fourteenth raised his hand, pointing off to the right. A Menos Grande was confined within a rather small cage decorated with musical etchings in the metal. "He took control of your Innocence and your body. I locked him up when you took over again."

"Well, he's not the Musician for nothing," Allen muttered. "Thank you."

"No, thank you!" the Musician called. "He wasn't a very pleasant neighbor in the first place, with his… his rampages."

Allen grinned. He wasn't that bad, he guessed. He slipped Crown Clown's mask on and took a big swipe at the Menos with his claw, thus effectively killing it.

With that done, the Fourteenth grinned. "Would you like some tea, Allen?"

Not knowing how to respond, the Exorcist grinned.

"Good," the Fourteenth said definitely. "There is something of the utmost importance that we need to discuss."

"… You're saying… that Kanda and I were…" Allen paused from his task of adding insane amounts of sugar to the tea that the Fourteenth had mysteriously brewed, finding difficulty in saying the word. "… lovers."

The Musician nodded, taking another sip of his tea. "Needs a bit more sugar," he mused. "Ah, yes. Young love. It was rather… bitter, actually. Neither of you had any of those sappy, romantic moments which, I must say, can be rather entertaining. But to each his own, or so they say.

"I'm under the impression that you two would do well in this time. There's nothing going on; this life is so boring. If you two have any romantic moments, I'd certainly be surprised, though."

Allen was silent, turning over the idea in his mind. He _liked_ Kanda, he knew, but they had been lovers? That certainly was news to him.

Was it to Kanda? Maybe; but then again, maybe not. Kanda's memories were complete; he knew that.

"At any rate," the Fourteenth continued pleasantly, "I think it's about time you got back. I'm sure your friends are awaiting some sort of battle story that never existed in the first place. Tell them I'm terribly sorry for that; I prefer not to battle." Before Allen could say anything, he hastily continued, "Save for the Earl."

The Fourteenth bid Allen farewell and, as if by his saying that opened a portal, darkness swept over Allen's eyes.

-

"Oy, Allen. You alive?" Ichigo asked. "You haven't twitched at all since you came out and slashed at my arm…"

A foot nudged Allen's side.

"Oy. Bean sprout."

Allen's eyes weren't open, but he didn't want to open them, either. He opted to simply lay there on the ground (though it was rather uncomfortable; he wanted a bed) and sleep, not caring about anything else at the moment.

"Che. That stupid bean sprout's probably just sleeping."

A pair of arms skillfully lifted Allen off of the ground (a part of him wondered how many times this person had lifted him up before; it was so smooth and catered to his body). Somehow, he felt completely safe and at ease.

-

"Damn it, BaKanda; why didn't you wake me up?!" Allen demanded, stuffing his schoolbooks into his backpack while trying to change at the same time. He ran over to the kitchen to grab his bagel and hastily slapped cream cheese on it.

"Che. Am I supposed to be your keeper? I'm fucking running late, too, damn it," Kanda snapped, hastily tying his hair up in its ponytail.

Lavi had left quite some time ago, as did Lenalee and Komui. None of them had bothered to wake up the last two who, uncharacteristically, were sleeping like the dead.

The two shoved past each other in their frenzied attempt to fly out the door. They hastily slammed the door shut, locking it as quickly as possible, and sprinted to Karakura High School.

"Che."

Allen looked at Kanda, who had a smirk drawn on his face. His heart skipped a beat. "Don't get lost, stupid bean sprout," Kanda taunted, sprinting faster.

"Damn it, BaKanda; who're you calling a bean sprout?!"

The two slowed down to a walk as they approached the school. Allen strode carefully next to Kanda—at a distance close enough to feel his presence, yet far enough so that it wouldn't be awkward. He sneaked a glance at the Japanese-American to find that those sapphire eyes were staring at him, too.

"What do you want, bean sprout?"

Allen shook his head. "Nothing," he said quietly.

The two walked in silence. Kanda looked down at the white-haired teen beside him and grinned, knowing that he was here with him. Suddenly, the shorter of the two stopped. Kanda walked a few more steps before turning back to look at Allen. He lifted his silver-blue eyes to Kanda's.

"… Were we lovers, Kanda?"

The question caught him off-guard.

Kanda didn't know who the heck told him that, but he figured that, in his position, it was sensible to just say yes and go with the flow to see if it'd end up in a situation favorable to him.

"Yeah. So?"

He thought it was hope and happiness reflected in those silver eyes.

"Do you… are you…" Allen mumbled indistinctly, stammering as he tried to figure out what he wanted to ask.

"Am I still in love with you?" Kanda finished. Allen nodded.

Kanda stared at him. "… Che. Are you fucking stupid?"

Allen felt his face go red.

A hand pulled his chin up, his eyes now locked with Kanda's deep blue orbs. The taller of the two smirked before pressing their lips together in a chaste kiss.

"Of course I am, dumbass. What about you?"

Somewhere in Allen's mind, a voice said, _Ahh. A romantic moment. How touching; that it actually happened._

_You be quiet,_ Allen hissed.

"So what if I am, BaKanda?" Allen smirked. "What would you do?"

Kanda echoed the expression. "I'd do this," he said, and pulled him into a passionate kiss.

* * *

Lol. Okay. Ending was pretty anti-climactic; I know. I kind of didn't want to do any extreme battle scenes ('cause God knows I fail at those) and I kind of wanted to get this all out of the way... I'm thinking of new ideas that I could write since I haven't been doing much writing.

On the other hand, I won a PTSA-sponsored writing contest :D I don't know how wide it was, but hell, I'm freaking happy. xD My confidence is like, at an all-time high. ANd it's Turkey Day :D :D :D

Happy Thanksgiving, and thank you for staying with me all this time!

Sora Pwns x3


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